“Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” Critique
The article, “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior,” seemed like it had completely inflamed the entire United States due to the content that the author and Yale Law School professor, Amy Chua had included in her writing. This Chinese mother described her parenting style as superior and all knowing compared to the parenting style of the common Western parent which was described as anxious and conflicted.
The article follows the structure of the chinese mothers parenting style. This parenting style can be described as very strict, very demanding, and extremely tenacious. The reason for this is the fact that chinese mothers are giving the child very little to almost zero say in what they want to do or
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After she explains her points, she gets into a story about her and her seven year old daughter. She sets the scene by telling us that her daughter is learning a new song on the piano. To make a long story short, Chau threatened her daughter by saying she would receive no food or christmas presents if she did not learn the song. She would not let her seven year old daughter get and use the bathroom until she recited the song perfectly. All of a sudden, her daughter learned the song after all the long hours of non-stop arguing and yelling and practice.
The first thing that really caught my eye was a statement by Chau saying that, “Chinese parents understand that nothing is fun until you’re good at it.” (Chau 262). Many people would completely disagree because there are plenty of things that are fun, even if you are not good at them. Someone could love to draw or play a sport and be bad at it at the same time and that is completely okay. You should not have to be the best at everything you do because no matter what you may be good at, there is always someone better than you or someone that will think that they or someone else is better than you.
Even though there are plenty of statements in this article that I disagree with, there is a few that I do agree with. Towards the end of the article Chau makes a very valid point about self esteem: “There's nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought
In the writing of, America’s Top Parent, Elizabeth Kolbert outlines the parenting strategies of different mothers. Most notably, she talks about the “Chinese Mother,” which does not technically mean this individual must be of Chinese descent. Throughout the essay, Kolbert talks about another essay, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. The author of that essay, Amy Chua, believes in a binary world. Meaning that there are two kinds of mothers, “Chinese Mothers”, and “Western” mothers. Chinese mothers believe in extreme parenting, whereas Western mothers “think they are being strict when they insist that their children practice their instruments for half an hour a day” (Kolbert). On the other hand, Chinese mothers have much more specific rules
Every parent wants the best for their child. There are different styles of parenting around the world that are used to ensure that their children do succeed. One method in particular is the stereotypical Chinese parenting style, or “Tiger Mom” parenting as it is referred to in Dr. Amy Chua’s book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom, however, many other Asian cultures utilize the same, if not, similar method. This method of parenting has received much criticism, especially in the western hemisphere, where it contrasts the “western” parenting styles. Despite this criticism, the results are undeniable when it comes to evaluating how successful children become when raised on the “Tiger Mom” method, compared to those raised by another other parenting style. The Tiger Mom parenting style is a superior parenting style due to the parents’ active involvement in their children’s lives, the children’s high academic achievement, as well as the traits children develop when raised using this parenting style.
Amy Chua stirs up a controversial topic of the differences between Chinese and Western parenting styles in the article “Adapted from Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”. One may believe that the Chinese way is too harsh as others may believe Western parents are too lenient. Any parent can relate to one or both parenting styles that Chua is discussing. This article is reaching out to parents who are unaware of the Chinese and Western parenting styles. To give the readers a better understanding of how each parenting style works. This article was based on Chua’s personal experiences as a Chinese parent.
Chinese parents feel that their children have a responsibility to obey them and pay them back for their efforts in raising them. American parents, on the
Both stories investigate the difference between American and Chinese parenting styles from two women’s point of view – Hanna Rosin and Amy Chua.
In the article “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” the author Amy Chua believes that by not allowing their kids to do a lot of things that normal children can do, Chinese mothers produce the smartest children. Some of the things they don’t allow their children to do are attend sleepovers, be in a school play, get a grade less than an A, and choose their own extracurricular activities. Chinese mothers are not superior but abusive because their methods seem to seclude them from learning the communication skills needed for success in their child's adulthood, it can hinder the relationship they have with their children, and can sometimes lead their children to develop thoughts of suicide.
Questions have been raised on whether Chinese parenting raises more flourishing children than Western parenting. Despite what people think, in Amy Chua's essay “The Roar of the Tiger Mom”, she portrays the differences between the beliefs of Chinese parenting and Western parenting. Chua introduces the views of a Chinese parent compared to the views of a Western parent. The methods used by Chinese mothers in raising their children are drastically different from Western mothers. Each defends their methods and believes the other group is doing their job poorly. In the end, both types of parents just want one thing-- successful children.
The stories "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior" by Amy Chua and "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan portray how children are raised in Chinese-American culture and what beliefs predominate in Chinese-American communities. In Chinese-American culture, mothers approach raising their children differently from many other American parents. While there are many similarities among these Chinese parents, variation can still be seen in the level of persistence and determination each individual parent pours into their parenting. These differences in persistence can be what make the difference in the results.
It is true that the ways the parents raise their children will decide how well the children grow, especially the mothers who impact their children the most. There is no right or wrong in how a mother takes care of her children. All of them want the best for their children. The only difference is the level of intensity in how to raise a child. In Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior, Amy Chua, a professor at Yale Law School believes that the ways Chinese mothers raise their children are the most effective ways. Her main purpose of this article is to state the differences between Western mothers and Chinese mothers which
Because America is such a diverse country, there are many differences between cultures of various immigrant groups. Members of each culture, have their own beliefs and values regarding what they think is right. The cultural diversity allows for each person to have a different view of things. Amy Chua’s essay “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior,” she describes her way of parenting her two daughters following Chinese values about education. She explains how Western parents are much more lenient than Chinese parents with their children and education. Chua gives examples of how she raised her daughter Lulu and Sophia which lead them to achieve success. She makes comparisons between Western and Chinese parenting styles throughout the essay and concludes that both types of parents want the best for their children, but just approach parenting it in different ways. In the article, “Chinese vs Western Mothers: Q&A with Amy Chua,” Amy Chua is interviewed by Belinda Luscombe where she clarifies how her Chinese method of parenting did not hurt her children the way many readers thought it did. Chua explains that her relationship with her two daughters is very strong and believes there are many effective ways of parenting in addition to the Chinese approach. Chua’s essay shows the Chinese immigrant approach to parenting and gives insight into why so many children of Chinese parents are so successful. Discussing the cultural differences shows the risk of stereotyping groups where feelings
The article Tiger Moms: Is Tough Parenting Really the Answer? by Annie Murphy Paul tells the story of one self-proclaimed “tiger mom,” Amy Chua, and her endeavors in raising her two daughters. She has much more stringent policies than most Western parents, to the point where many Americans have voiced their contempt and disgust at her methods for the lack of love and nurturing for her children, but Chua insists that her methods are far superior. She says that Chinese parenting techniques prepare children for the world, while American parenting makes children soft and entitled. Parents in America allow their children far too much free time on the computer, internet, TV, and other useless activities, Chua claims, while not focusing on discipline
Chinese mothers being superior and any mother claiming that their way of parenting will always be biased. Every mother is going to think that their way of parenting is the best way. Especially parents that create a prodigy. It could be the parenting or the child was just born smart. Either way, that parent is going to claim they did something better than another parent, even though there is no way to prove it. There are too many factors that play into this topic to prove which parenting method is the most superior.
The generally accepted way in which children in a society are raised, constitutes its philosophical and social child rearing practice. Child-rearing research has focused on understanding differences in parent’s beliefs and values, characteristics of cultural socialization, and the implications of such variations. “Chinese parents traditionally stress their authority over their children and expect unquestioning obedience from them” (Chiu 1987). In America, a parent’s main focus is what they should do for their children to help them succeed in life; Chinese parents raise their children to do what is best for their parents and society. Significant differences were found in Chinese,
Amy Chua, the author of “Chinese Mothers Are Superior”, presents Chinese mothers’ parenting as an excellent way to raise kids and comparing it with Western Parenting. She intended to be funny and ironic. In fact, she represents Chinese mothers as marshals in the army who raise their children as soldiers. Amy Chua suggests that she is being funny in her article, Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior.” However, her militaristic rhetoric, as well as her own personal examples, reveal that she supports the ‘Chinese’ parenting method.
“I expect nothing but the best. If it is not an A, you are not striving to the best of your ability. You cannot be a musician; you have to be a doctor. You can only be someone when you ARE someone. That will only happen after you take ten extra lessons outside of school, and you also have to learn how to play all types of instruments. My main point is, you have to be the best.” For many centuries, cultures from all around have had many debates on the correct way of parenting. In recent times, a specific type of parenting has been in the spotlight: the parenting of Asian mothers. They are known as very passive and submissive to strangers, but to their own kids they turn around 360 and becoming very aggressive and demanding. Many Westerners think Easterners way of parenting is cruel and inhumane. Westerners think that Asian mothers have goals that are unrealistic; they are selfish because they are simply living their dream through their children. Asian mothers, on the other hand, claim they do it all out of love.