Superiority of Chinese Mothers

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The author, Amy Chua, portrays her opinionated argument that Chinese children are more Why Chinese Mothers are Superior Why Chinese Mothers are Superior successful because of the way they are brought up in her article, “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior (2011)”. This theme is important because it compares and contrasts the tactics of Chinese mothers to Western mothers to strive for their children to be successful. This paper describes the three key arguments Chau (2011) ties into Ed124 and why Chinese parents act the way they do towards their children. Why are Chinese children more successful? There are big differences in how Chinese mothers act towards their children compared to Western mothers including the expression of feelings and approval, the worth of their children, and what is best for them. Amy Chua (2011) incorporates her own personal experiences of being a Chinese mother within her article and compares that to what she witnesses in America. Amy Chua (2011) names off three reasons that support her argument in why Chinese children are more successful. First, she mentions that Westerners worry too much on how their child will accept failure, whereas Chinese parents assume only strength in their child and nothing less. For example, if a Western child comes home with a B on a test, some parents will praise the child on their success and some may be upset, while a Chinese parent would convince their child they are “worthless” and “a disgrace.” The Western parents hope to spare their children’s feelings and to be careful not to make their child feel insecure or inadequate, while Chinese parents demand perfect grades because they believe their children can get them (Chua, 2011). Secondly, Chinese parents believe their chil... ... middle of paper ... ...make the contrast a bit clearer and provide more detail as to why Chinese parents do so. It is clear that immigrant parents, in general, do place a higher emphasis on education compared to Western parents regardless of socioeconomic status. Works Cited Chua, Amy. 2011. “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior.” Wall Street Journal Feliciano, Cynthia. 2001. “The Benefits of Biculturalism: Exposure to Immigrant Culture and Dropping Out of School Among Asian and Latino Youths.” Social Science Quarterly 82.866-80. Goyette, Kimberly, and Yu Xie. 1999. “Educational Expecations of Asian American Youths: Determinants and Ethnic Differences.” Sociology of Education 72.22-36 Louie, Vivian. 2001. “Parents’ Aspirations and Investment: The Role of Social Class in the Educational Experiences of 1.5- and Second- Generation Chinese Americans.” Harvard Educational Review 71.438-74.

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