The essay “Mother Tongue” describes a writer who grew up with a mother of Asian origin and the limitations created by her mother’s speech. The author, Amy Tan, defines her mother’s English as “broken” and that it created communication barriers. For example, when Tan’s mother would need to call her boss about work, she would rely on her daughter to make the phone call and use proper english. When Tan decided to go into English in college, it seemed foolish since she was more skilled in math and science. The author also mentions how not everyone’s speech is the same, but that is not a bad thing. Tan decided to start writing fiction, and write a book in a way her mother would comprehend. Though the writing was harshly critiqued, Tan knew she…
After reading Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior by Amy Chua, I learned three key differences between Chinese and Western “mothering.” First, Western parents are focused on the physiological behavior of academics and self-esteem issues with their children while Chinese parents are not. Second, Western parents view their children to try their best and do not need to repay the parents, in contrast Chinese parents view their children to be permanently in debt to them. Last, Chinese parents believe that they know what is best for their children. Western parents will not over-ride their children and allow their children do what it is they desire.…
The article "Why China?" by Sara Dorow is about the specific reasons why Caucasians adopt Chinese children. Caucasians, whether single, married heterosexual, gay lesbian couples are more likely to choose transnational adoption than domestic adoption because the whole adoption process in China is more flexible as some parents who adopted children from there said. The people who wanted to adopt or already have adopted from China said that they wouldn't have to worry about the child's parents showing up to "reclaim their child or children," unlike domestic adoption. They also mentioned that because culturally the mothers in China don't smoke or drink and therefore, they are more than likely give birth to healthy babies. However, in…
(pg. 99) Despite the fact that stereotyping is one of the biggest problems in the world, some of it can be true. In “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior,” Amy Chua gave these rules of restrictions to her kids. • attend a…
In the short story “The Chinese in All of Us”, Rodriguez says, “I think of myself as Chinese” (242). It only brought the thought to my attention that he must be confused. Like most minorities, he gives off the impression that he’s trying to “fit in” America. Searching for identity and suiting himself with redundant thoughts for the comfort of acceptance and feeling the pleasures of the modern American society. I am a minority and I’m expressing from experience. Rodriguez says, “… culture is something we breathe, sweat, and live”. (242). If this is true, then what is his reasoning for choosing to identify with one ethnic culture other than his own? Why would not he just…
In The article “why Chinese Mother Are Superior,” By Amy Chua, she emphasized that children raised by Chinese are more victorious than children that are raised by Western Mothers. Chua declared that the strict and direct nature of the Chinese parent style allows their children to have excellence in everything that they do. Which explains why Jing-mei from the story “Two Kinds” was as at time bossy, pushy, harsh toward her daughter to be successful part of the cause was being a Chinese mother as well that is in their nature to push their children to be…
One of the greatest things a woman can become is a mother. Bringing a life into the world, caring for it, and then nurturing it into a productive member of society is a full time and sometimes trying job. Asian women who immigrated to America were women who took part in this life role. These women had not only one job, as mother, they had three. Playing the triple role of being a wife, mother, and moneymaker proved to be more of a challenge then they had ever expected. In Chinese culture, family and home are synonymous. They even shared the same character in Chinese. Women in all classes were regarded as inferior to men and were expected to remain at home, attentive to family and domestic responsibilities (Takaki, 36). After their immigration to America, Asian women found themselves thrust into a position in which they had never truly been before. While still in Asia, they remained in the home making sure to upkeep an honorable household and to take care of the family. In the new world, they were forced to join the working society, the…
raise other successful children In the article about the superiority of Chinese mothers as opposed…
The Joy Luck Club is focused on four Chinese Immigrant families in San Francisco and about their sacrifices for coming into the United States. Each family tells their own story. The story of the Hsu family with An-Mei as the daughter The purpose of the Joy Luck Club is to show the reader that people to reach their dream they have to make sacrifices and that their choices can change their fate.…
“Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” is an article, but it has some reflections from an essay, because the sender of the text tells stories from her own life, and she isn’t objective. The text is published in the newspaper The Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2011. The sender of the article is Amy Chua a Chinese mother who is married to an American man. She is a professor at Yale Law School, USA. The receivers of the article are the citizens of America who reads The Wall Street Journal and western parents who looks down on the Chinese upbringing of children.…
In the article “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” (2011) Amy Chua argues the differences between Chinese mothers and Western mothers parenting styles, and how the outcomes are on two opposite ends of the spectrum. I disagree with Chua’s article on how Chinese mothers raise their children and compare it to Western mothers. All mothers have a different ways of raising their children and that there is no right or wrong on how to raise your child. I think that the only difference is the level of intensity. In the article (paragraph 1) Chua states that “Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do: attend sleepover, have a play date, be in a school play, complaining about not being in a school play, watch TV or play computer games, choose their own extracurricular activities, get any grade less than an A, not be the number 1 student in every subject except gym and drama, play an instrument other than the piano and violin, not to play piano or violin. I think that all of these are wrong. As a child there is so much opportunity to grow and develop through the activities they had to miss out on. Playing with other children and getting involved in any sports are going to teach you lessons that you could never read from a book or study from a paper. I think that forcing your child to do something that they don’t want to do can make them unhappy. There has to be a balance between studying and fun. Sometimes Chinese parents appear to overwhelm their children with studying to the point where they don’t even know what fun is. In a conclusion to me, parenting is about loving your child for who they are, giving them the right to choose what makes them happy, the fairness opportunities is a must. This is why I believe that Chinese mothers are wrong. In the end, the child has no freedom and all of the decisions are up to the parent. They give no fair opportunities to excel at the things they may be interested in or might be good at. If your child…
Although the Chinese were a hated minority, the aerial attack on Pearl Harbor created a significant shift. American culture became more tolerant and accepting of Chinese Americans as “over 13,000 Chinese Americans were serving in all branches of the Army Ground Forces and Army Air Forces.”, which made it the highest percentage of any other American ethnic community (McNaughton). One of these men was Captain Francis B. Wai. During the recapture of the Philippines from the Japanese, American troops found themselves without leadership and vulnerable on the open beach. Captain Wai heroically assumed command, found the enemy’s weak points, and lead an attack on the last Japanese pillbox in the area. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,…
When the characters immigrate to America from China, they still possess Chinese beliefs. Living in China, the mother’s identities were based on who one marries, what number wife one was, and family social status, differentiating from America, where one’s identity is defined by fads and trends. Throughout the novel, the mothers and daughters both struggle to understand what it means to be Chinese living in America. The daughters find it difficult to understand who they truly are when they are living by Chinese culture at home, living by American culture at school, and trying to meet their mother’s lofty expectations. Not able to understand their daughter’s desires to fit in with their American schoolmates, the mothers are still trying to fully perceive their new, partially American selves. The daughters had to modify their habits and behaviors based on their surroundings. These frequent adaptations hindered their ability to find their…
Chinese parents assert that their kid's “owe them everything.” Lastly, Chinese parents are certain that they know what is best for their children, which leads to dictating their choices for…
References: Chua, A. (2011, January 8). Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html…