Posted on 01/16/2011 4:55:28 PM PST by SeekAndFind
An editorial cartoon in the Jan. 13 edition of Hong Kong's English daily the South China Morning Post shows a family — a father, mother and frowning boy — together in the kitchen. On the table sits an untouched breakfast — the sodden castoffs, we infer, of the insolent child. "If you don't eat it," the father threatens, "we're going to have you adopted by Amy Chua." The child looks horrified.
Amy Chua is a professor at Yale Law School, an author and, as of last week, one of the most talked-about mothers in the world. On Jan. 8, the Wall Street Journal published an essay she wrote headlined "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior," in which she discusses her approach to child rearing. Her kids, Louisa and Sophia, were never allowed to have playdates, watch TV or get anything less than A's in school. They played instruments of her choosing (piano, violin) and practiced for hours under close watch. If they resisted, she pounced: at one moment she called her daughter "garbage," in another "pathetic."
The piece, adapted from Chua's just-released memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, is now at the center of a raucous global debate about parenting, identity and family. More than a million people have read the story online, more than 5,000 have commented on it, and countless others have passed it along to friends and family members. It's doing the rounds on Facebook and has been animated, to hilarious effect, by the folks at Taiwan's Next Media (of Tiger Woods drama re-enactment fame). Reactions range from (to paraphrase) "You're on to something" to "You're a bigot and a bad mother" to "You're just like my mom" — often in the same breath.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
China had a hereditary emperor.
Below him all positions were staffed by examination and promotion (theoretically) by merit.
This is utterly different from middle eastern, Indian, Japanese or European feudal or semi-feudal practice, where there was little or no formal way for talent to progress.
Not necessarily better, just very different. In practice there wasn’t as much difference as in theory. The most hidebound aristocracies were more open to aggressive guys on the way up than they were in theory, and the kids of Chinese rich dudes had a big advantage in the exams.
You should see the Asian mothers at the skating rink I go to each morning before work. It’s unbelievable how they push thier kids. Not many of their kids smile as they skate.
And they have a real high suicide rate later on.
Gosh, this kinda looks like an orchestrated publicity stunt. Who’da thunk it?
“Where should she be? She was born in Champaigne, IL, and grew up in Lafayette, IN”
China? It would be interesting know her family history. More capitalist opportunity in Red China than America these days.
"Ms. Park speaks five languages."
"No, I don't."
"That's what it says here . . ."
"Does it also say that I sleep three hours a night, hide in the kitchen cabinet, and I'm not allowed to cry?"
Her parents are from the Philippines. She was born in Illinois, and raised in Indiana and California.
She seems a bit of a lefty elitist, but in that regard, she’s no different than lots of our neighbors. Also she is a bit of an authoritarian with her kids. There is also some evidence that they know her for who she is. When one of her kids was asked to comment for something someone was writing about the mother, the kid’s response was; “Why, I’m sure it will be all about her anyway.” Or something much like that.
Logically speaking: Tiger Mom isn’t even Asian.
In all truth and if you really come down to the determination of [how best to describe/define Tiger Mom’s heritage], Tiger Mom then just can’t be Chinese. She is Caucasian.
To the Asian culture, the saying “If you marry to a chicken, then you are deemed a chicken, and if you are marry a dog, then you are deemed a dog” applies to females everywhere, red, white, yellow, or brown.
What Tiger Mom should have said, instead then, was that “American Mothers” are superior”.
I’m surprised that as a professor of law of a prestigious university that she can’t even distinquish the difference between a Caucasian and a Chinese person.
“American Mothers” deserve the credit they are due but Tiger Mom is denying them this privilege they are entitled.
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