Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior Amy Chua

 Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

                                        Amy Chua

Amy Chua compares the child parenting pattern in Chinese and Western culture. According to Chua Chinese parenting ways are far better than Western that's why Chinese children are more intelligent and smart than Western. She enlists stereotypical ways for upbringing children in Chinese culture. She has 2 daughters and despite being in America since she was one year old she follows all of them. She uses the term “Chinese mother” loosely which also stands for Korean, Indian, Jamaican, Irish and Ghanaian parents.

She has set rules and regulations for her daughters. She has forbidden her daughters from attending a sleepover,  having a playdate, doing school plays, watching and playing TV and video games, and so on. Unlike western culture, she follows the culture that doesn't let a child grow in an individualistic environment. Western mothers don't bother with such stuff. They don't interfere with their interest. Western mothers think that it is not good to stress anything to their children whereas Chinese mothers think that academic success reflects successful parenting hence they stress in the academic growth of the children. 

Chinese mother tries her best to make her child superior in the class in contrast to them western mothers don't pressurize their children to pursue anything.  

 What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you’re good at it. It shows the attitude of the Chinese. While upbringing children, the mothers know the children won't get good until they practice and the children resist at first because the children on their own never want to work. Which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up. But Chinese mother never gives up. Once a child starts to excel at something – whether it’s math, piano, pitching, or ballet – he or she gets praise, admiration, and satisfaction. This builds confidence and makes the once not-fun activity fun. This in turn makes it easier for the parent to get the child to work even more.  

Chua's husband Jed, disagrees with her child-rearing method. He thinks children don't owe their parents anything. They don't have a choice like to be born. So parents are more responsible to provide things from them. Whereas the Chinese are supposed to spend their lives repaying their parents by obeying them and making them proud.

According to Chua, Chinese parents are able to do things that Western parents cannot because Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment but  the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they’re capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.

Chua responds to the charge that Chinese parents don't care about their children by projecting parenting style in Chinese culture is different. They never give up any subject when it comes to their children likewise they can give up anything for their children's betterment. Western parents are concerned for the children's self-esteem that's how they learn letting things go. She claims there is the best part of building confidence is to learn something you thought you couldn't. 

According to Chua, Chinese child-rearing practices prepare children for life as they try to make them strong, skillful, confident, and successful.

Chua believes that many westerners believe that Chinese mothers are overbearing and indifferent to their children's needs. While I do not believe that the perception itself is correct, I do think she is correct in stating that many do believe this to be true.

She seems to anticipate her readers to react negatively to her ideas. When she talks about the time she called her daughter "garbage", she mentions that she was ostracized by a social circle when mentioning this incident. She also mentions the rise of books that portray Asian mothers as heartless; she seems aware that this parenting style is not well-received among most Westerners.

Chua's thesis, which she states in paragraph 11, is that there are three main differences between Western parenting and Chinese parenting.

The editors likely chose this title because it is a controversial statement that would draw in readers. Chua's point doesn't seem to be to claim superiority; her goal seems more oriented toward explaining the nuances of these parenting techniques to dispel the criticism they receive and to talk about how these techniques differ from Western techniques.. Her title may have been something along the lines of "How Chinese and Western Mothers Differ." I would have chosen a similar title as well; I believe that the author's goals should be recognized in the title.

Chua expected readers to be shocked, possibly angered by this list; she included it with the intent of eliciting this kind of response in the reader. She intends to persuade the reader to read more by appealing to their emotion.

This essay is organized using a point-by-point structure. This organizational style works well because it allows Chua to touch on many individual points and write about how each parenting style differs regarding that point in a way that is not confusing for the reader.

Most of the evidence that Chua provides is based upon her own opinions and observations. Her comparisons between how Chinese and Western parents deal with learning instruments and how to speak to one's child are based purely on her own experiences. In paragraph 5, Chua cites a study to compare Chinese immigrant mothers and Western mothers' opinions on topics like academic expectations.

The fact that Chua was born in the US does not undercut her arguments; if anything, this helps her case. Being born in the US has given her an opportunity to see both parenting styles she discusses firsthand. Her conclusions are more severely undercut by the lack of nuance she provides; there is little evidence that the techniques she discusses are effective.

Chua ends her essay by comparing and contrasting Western and Chinese parenting styles. She also could have used narrative as a strategy for her conclusion, perhaps circling back to talk about her experience with her own daughters again.