Abstract
This study aims to investigate the process of family distress to family crisis in multi-cultural families based on Hill's ABCX model. For this study, the qualitative study with depth interview was conducted with 8 multi-cultural families(e.g. husband, wife, child and elderly parent). The depth interview contents were marriage process, family relation or family interactions, social adaptation process, and social services needs. Results showed the followings: First, multi-cultural families had multiple distressors so that these distressors made multi-cultural families vulnerable to family crisis. Second, Hill's ABCX model explained the process of family distress to family crisis in the multi-cultural families in that they had few resources(both individual resources and family resources) and even worse they had negative cognitions about their own multi-cultural family systems. This situation made them difficult to solve their problems and to cope with their distressors. Third, major distressors in multi-cultural families were founded in this study. These were different cultural gap, communication difficulties, social discrimination to multi-cultural families, and lack of social support networks. Discussion will address suggestions about effective family policies for multi-cultural families in order to make them resilient to family crisis and help to well-adjusted in the korean society.