Dontraie Johnson
ENG101-251
Mrs.Deanna Shaw
Analysis Essay
An Analysis of Why Chinese Mothers Are superior
It’s safe to assume all parents want their kids to be successful. In America it’s a mixture of different religions and cultures. With that comes different methods of parenting. In the article Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior published by THE WALL STREET JOURNAL in 2011, by Amy Chua believes that people think “Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids”(Chau,2011). The author's purpose was to inform and shed light on the contrast between Chinese and western parents. The intended audience being parents, she gives stories and examples from her life , being raised by Chinese parents. Chua feels she can tell all the people wondering what it’s like and how it’s done because she has done it. Depicting Chinese mothers as being the stereotypical parents they are made out to be. The author doesn’t sugar coat the strict, harsh upbringing, she treats it normally and sees western ways of raising children to be softer and more focused on the child’s self esteem. The author states “best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they are capable of, and arming them with skills,”(Chua,2011). Believing Chinese parents push their kids because they believe they’re are capable of anything and that most parents in western civilization are okay with their child not being the best and not reaching they potential.
The author uses listing, compare contrast, and examples to support her claim. Chau lists things she didn’t allow her our children to do such as “ attend a sleepover”,“be in a school play”, or go on dates. All things thought to be a distraction. She describes the differences in Chinese and western parents as “quantifiable”. Throughout the article she supports the notion with the different ways they raise their children. Such as how her father called her “garbage” when she disrespected them, while her friends scolded her when she mentioned she did something similar with her own daughter by calling her garbage. Resulting in one parent being brought almost to tears and the others trying to “rehabilitate” Chua. She felt it didn’t damaged her or her child’s self esteem whereas other mothers felt maybe she was insulting her daughter. She gives an example of how western children’s self esteems are coddled by their parents and they are more sensitive because of it. Referring to the parents being anxious about a kids self esteem. Insinuation that western parent dance around touchy subjects instead of being blunt and stern. She feels as though in Chinese culture the parents get away with a lot more than western culture. Feelings that may have came from how her actions were treated by her friends. The author takes a big aim at the comparison of how Chinese and western parents treat their child not doing well in school. Chinese parents putting all the blame and responsibility on the child for not working their hardest while, western parents blame the school or faculty for their child not doing well.
Giving mostly testimonials from her own life and things she’s seen from other parents Chau supports her claim that Chinese mothers are superior. Taking into account of how she was treated by her parents and the effect it had on he. Going into the difference of mindsets, she notes the magnifying glass western parents put to their children’s psyche. While putting their feelings and self esteem on a pedi stool. Saying “ they worry about how their children will feel if they fail at something”(Chau,2001). Wheres, Chinese parents “ assume strength, not fragility” so they don’t treat how they raise their children sensitively. Mentioning academics Chau examples praise for getting close to a great grade by a western parent and not being shamed or insulted for it. While that same grade grade brought home by a Chinese student would be met with work and practice to do better and bring a grade up. Pointing back to the belief by Chinese parents that their kids are strong and can handle the insults and the push to do better. The authors evidence is very relevant and reliable,being she was raised by Chinese parents and is currently raising her own children in western civilization with a husband who is from the western civilization.
Chua was born in Champaign, Illinois, to ethnic Chinese parents with Hoklo ancestry who emigrated from the Philippines. She’s an author, teachers, mother, and a lawyer with degrees from Harvard. She wrote one book with her memoirs of strict parenting called Battle Hymm of the Tiger. Which was met with praise as well as disgust. The author is claiming that Chinese parents don’t hold their children with their methods,but westerners do. Being raised by Chinese parents and being a highly successful person shows that Chau is credible on knowing and understanding the Chinese upbringing. Do to that understanding and upbringing Chau’s argument is full of bias. Chua believe chinese parents treat their children as if they owe their parents, whereas, westerners think they owe their children do the that they didn’t ask to be brought into the world. She can only account truly for how she felt about the way she was raised. The author leaves out what the negative side of how being raised under the same conditions as her results in. As well as the positives of how westerners raise their children. The author is giving her reasoning from a eastern culture worldview. Being her parents were born in eastern civilization and raised all their childhood in the culture they raised Chua the same, the author saw that her parents were successful because of it and she as well was successful so she raised her own children the same way she was brought up. Both of them playing instruments and excelling in school because Chua stands by her parents methods and how she was raised. Giving her different experiences and viewpoints making herself a credible source in the subject.
Amy Chua's article argues that western ways and mindset of raising children is softer compared to Chinese parents, and that is why Chinese mothers are superior. Majority of her arguments are very effective. She does a great job of downplaying the negative side of what Chinese child rearing is like. Pushing the focus on the successful side of what happens when you push your child. While putting down westerners ways and making them look bad. You can tell she’s a lawyer through this. However, If she had testimonials from other Chinese adults with the same upbringing, showing how different things made them feel, if would have made her argument stand stronger. Finishing her article with a story of her own daughter playing the piano, the author gives one last support to her argument. She mentions the struggle of getting her daughter to learn a piano piece,while stating she made threats such as, takjing away toys and not allowing her to eat, as well as yelling at her daughter all in hopes that her daughter will reach the goal of being able to play it. In the end the daughter finally learns the piece and Amy shows that you don’t have to let your child give up and fail. Concluding that both sides want what’s best for their child but Chinese parents have a different method. Amy Chua would be correct to say that the Chinese mothers are superior if it was just about how successful your kids turn out however, overall parenting is about more than just that.