Brian Trat
Sec A01
Blog #9

In Response to "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior" and "Why I love my strict Chinese mom."

     In comparison to Western standards of child rearing, the strict nature of some Asian-American households seems oppressive and abusive. The mainstream media has made a spectacle out of Amy Chua and painted her as the archetypical "tiger mom", a caricature of a harsh Asian mother who will do whatever they can do mold their children in straight-A robots. Critics of this parenting method says it damages a child's individuality and would make them more close-minded and socially awkward. However, Sophia Chua-Rubenfield, daughter of the infamous Tiger Mom, has spoken out against these critics and has shown why she is far from a close-minded, emotionally unstable individual. 

      Indeed, these attacks against strict parenting styles display a deep cultural difference in child rearing amongst the West and Chinese-influenced cultures. They also feed into the model minority myth by attributing incredible advances Asian-Americans have made in society to abusive parenting styles. These media attacks help create an "other" that defies American ideals and deters the process of being accepted into mainstream American culture. Even the hard work of Asian-Americans and the dedication of their parents are publicly denounced. In turn this gives a negative connotation to the successes of Asian-Americans.

Question: Why would a capitalist society that fetishizes hard work, attack an upbringing that emphasizes such an ideal?