Are Chinese Mothers Superior? (follow-up to WSJ column earlier this week)

Commentary ^ | 1/12/2011 | Kejda Gjermani

[mojito]

A certain essay appeared in the Wall Street Journal last Saturday, titled “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior,” to which one excerpted reaction from the Journal community itself was “I am in disbelief after reading this article.” The author is a Chinese mother, Amy Chua, a professor of law at Yale perhaps best known for writing the New York Times bestseller World on Fire.

The essay affirms that stereotypical Chinese parenting produces stereotypical cases of success for the children raised in that fashion — impeccable grade reports, precocious competence in the violin and piano (but mind you, those instruments and no other!), and fortitude of mind in the child to boot — and it explains how all this can be achieved by drawing on representative episodes from the author’s own experience as a Chinese mother. The most instructive and blood-chilling of these is the story of how little Lulu, Chua’s youngest daughter, was compelled to learn, just in time for her piano recital, how to play “The Little White Donkey”

[mojito]

An excellenat essay responding to the chauvinistic claims of the Chua article.

I too, believe that many parents are too indulgent towards the whims of their children. However, my belief, that I try to instill in my own children, is that the building of strong moral character, good habits, and thinking for oneself are more important than the relentless pusuit of top grades.

[mojito]

A live link to the Chua article, for those who may not have seen it:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html

[skeeter]

However, my belief, that I try to instill in my own children, is that the building of strong moral character, good habits, and thinking for oneself are more important than the relentless pusuit of top grades.

I admire the (first generation american) chinese tendency to drive their children academically, but conversely I think they're far too likely to produce kids too insular & regimented to live up to their full potential in american society.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Chua’s article is interesting because it is an unapologetic (in the traditional sense) view of the style of upbringing she supports.

It is refreshing to read an article by someone that does not assume that they might be wrong, but are convinced that they are right.

Someone who is equally convinced that their style is right would have a good discussion with her. That is what the “arena of ideas” is all about, and it is refreshing to see someone willing to go to intellectual battle.

I believe a lot of Western parents can learn a lot from her understanding of child rearing. And like most things in the western world, many will take the good and dispose of the rest.

That is the strength of the Aristotelian Western Culture and why it is superior to Chinese Culture.

[fishtank]

bflr

[myrabach]

oh gosh, I’m not Chinese but I do have some serious issues with American parenting. But to say you are a better parent because your child gets good grades and can play the piano certainly isn’t a serious gauge of exceptional parenting. To me the kind of parenting this woman describes nurtures the kind of adult that fits perfectly into the restrictive and oppressive society the Chinese enjoy. Now I see more how it’s done... control right from the cradle.

[Fee]

It is funny. I know many Chinese American or Chinese immigrant families who force their kids to learn piano or violin because they believe it forces/exercises their kids brains, thus the kids will be smarter especially in math. Net effect is $ 15000 piano followed by $ 5000 lessons per child. By the time they graduate from college, few of their kids can even play the piano, but are great soccer and basketball players. Knew one parent who skimped and saved, gave best tutoring so their son can go to Princeton. Guess what, the child did what the Chinese call a Chinese parents’ nightmare, send child to prestiges expensive college and he decides to join the military via ROTC!!!! Bragging rights just evaporated!!!! IMHO children should be exposed to a disciplined classical education where the child is exposed to all academic endeavors so he/she is familiar with it and appreciative of its existence and explore which talent they possess and focus on the ones that are practical and to their liking.

[mojito]

I don't want anyone to think that I don't believe good grades are important: they are. But maybe they're not the most important thing about an education.

Case in point: When I was an undergraduate, I took a course in modern Chinese history. I was interested in the subject and read the required reading and beyond. However, the professor was an admirer of Mao and made that known; I decidedly was not, and my essays reflected that.

I received a B- in the class for my open political disagreement with the professor. However, I was unwilling to compromise my belief that Mao was a monster just to obtain a good grade.

[achilles2000]

The Chua article is a caricature of “Chinese” parenting, and the responses to the article are absurd because they take Chua at face value. Chua is American, and it would help if the commentators had ever had serious engagement in China with real Chinese. Instead they simply react credulously to this affirmative action yuppie hypenated American professorette.

[NonValueAdded]

We’ll have nun of that

[papertyger]

I think they're far too likely to produce kids too insular & regimented to live up to their full potential in american society.

Sounds like another nebulous variation on the non-disprovable "socially stunted homeschool" complaint....

[A CA Guy]

Unless you are in the elite ruling class of China you have no more than $100 a month and a homne the size of one of our closets to live in.
These articles are pure BS because what ever point of views might claimed, the fact is the vast majority of the country live as slave labor.
The world in the article doesn’t even exist to begin with.

[Ellendra]

Am I reading it right that Chua confessed, in writing, to abusing her child, and hasn't had charges filed yet?

"only by protection innocent, instead of by practice virtuous."

That's good way of putting it. I've seen that a lot with the children of Helicopter Parents.

[skeeter]

I received a B- in the class for my open political disagreement with the professor.

Good illustration. I know many parents who raised accomplished students who were near social basket cases outside their own community. There is a consistant ideal of the perfect child within the chinese community that may suit traditionally chinese society, but it doesn't work as well in one which still based upon the sovereign individual.

[skeeter]

Dunno who you are referring to, but I am far closer to this issue than I’ll bother to reveal here.

[mac_truck]

Am I reading it right that Chua confessed, in writing, to abusing her child, and hasn't had charges filed yet?

A western liberal might easily take that point of view.

I'm not sure why any conservative would.

[Fair Paul]

I read the Chua article in the online edition of the WSJ as well as the accompanying comments, similar to what I do on FR. Great reading. As of today there are over 3,500 comments posted, I've never seen any other article in the WSJ come anywhere close to the number of comments this article has received.

What I found interesting is that postings by those who mentioned they had Chinese mothers similar to Chua were the most critical of her.

[television is just wrong]

they are only allowed one child. Of course they are going to be better. they are a suppressed economy that is now booming and they are taking OUR PLACE.