This study systematically reviewed and synthesized the qualitative scholarship published since 2000 examining parental involvement in East Asian countries (n = 20). Overall, our findings point to the structural and cultural barriers to parental involvement, notably weak home-school relations. In response, East Asian parents often engaged in alternative forms of parental involvement that are informal, not always academic, and occurring outside of schools. For instance, parents used social networks or online groups to support their children, and often engaged in affective forms of involvement that were not always academic (such as watching their children study) regardless of class.