Angry Little Asian Girl

Arisa Gagarin

ASA 2 | A01
Week 10

In the Angry Little Asian Girl comic strips, Lela Lee depicts the stereotypical love-hate relationship between an Asian mother and daughter. Although my mom might be identified as someone more assimilated, I can still see some of her in these cartoons, especially in the last strip where the Angry Little Asian Girl bites her tongue as her mother nags at her. Growing up, my mom and I would bicker quite often – so much that it became normal, and we could easily act like nothing happened later on. Even today, we still bicker a lot. But, now that I’m older, I know that it’s not because we hate each other, but quite the opposite. Or, I know better to just listen instead of argue. I also understand that whenever my mom pokes insults at me, it’s not to be mean, but to catch me when I’m slipping. However, I think it’s safe to say that every girl has a complicated relationship with their mother, and that the love-hate dynamics is not special only to Asian Americans.

Q: Why do you think mothers and daughters argue so much? Where is the root of all tension and how might it be influenced by family and culture?