Extra Credit Lecture: Kathy Chao

Esther Ho

Section A02

Extra Credit Lecture: Kathy Chao

Take the initiative and be assertive about what you want.

I am really glad I went to Kathy Chao’s lecture in the Viet Nam War ASA extra credit lecture series. Kathy Chao is the Vice Major of San Pablo, the Executive Director of Lao Family Community Development, and the Director of the San Pablo Economic Development Corporations. She was truly inspiring in the way she presented her experience. She began her lecture with Lao Zi’s quote, which states, “A journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step.” This set the foundation of the rest of her story because she talks about how in order to attain anything in life; you have to be the initiator. You have to ask for what you want and be “ballsy.” You have to present yourself as a confident individual because people will assume what you can do by how you look. The main thing she highlighted is to not be another “yes man,” but rather be a person that has his or her own opinion.

In terms of getting a job, a person’s active pursuit is also important. She talked about one of her experience of attaining an internship position. She contacted the CEO of the company directly about the internship opportunity, which made a lasting impression and eventually landed her the internship. Prior to contacting, she researched the company and was prepared to ask questions and be inquisitive.  

In order to be a truly successful individual, she mentions that the three main things that an individual should keep in mind. One should be humble enough to ask for help, self-sufficient enough to help oneself, and open and giving enough to give back to the community.

The mechanisms that Kathy introduced to us seems to contradict the lotus flower stereotype of Asian women, who are perceived as submissive, and the “quiet Asian” stereotype that doesn’t ask for what they want and just take orders. I think instills a sense of empowerment for Asians, as it showcases how we can achieve if we pursue what we want actively. This contradiction of stereotypes restores a sense of how heterogeneous Asian Americans are and how we cannot be classified by a single stereotype.

Tough Love Effectiveness?

Esther Ho

Section A02

Reading Reflection #10

In Response to: “Angry Little Asian Girl”

Will not being accepted by parents precipitate to the child's relation with others?

Looking at the pictures of the three comic stripes, it seems that it depicts how Asian parents are strict and that Asians are depicted as passive aggressive, which reinforce the stereotype of Asians. In the comics, it shows how the Asian mom uses a form of “tough love” towards her daughter and critiques her daughter for miniscule things. This reflects the tiger mom stereotype; where the mother is critical in order to incite the daughter to reach her own potential. But it seems that the comics show how that intention of the mother did not transfer well to the daughter. The daughter is quite angry about her mother’s responses and comments. Throughout the comics, the little girl is depicted as a passive aggressive girl, as she only “thinks” angry thoughts, but not enact on it. This may be due to the emphasis on “respect” in Asian cultures where a child should not talk back to their parents under any circumstances.

These comics reflect the values of the Asian cultures, while also highlighting the tensions that may arise from the different takes on one’s action. The mother’s tough love approach may just come off as being rude and inconsiderate to the daughter. This may even affect her self-perception, management of emotions, and relationship with her parents.

This makes me wonder whether the idea of tough love is effective. Do you think the stereotypical strict Asian parents are a form of effective parenting?

What it Means to be Asian

Week 10
ASA 2 A02
Vicky Hatakeyama
Response to the comics of Angry Little Asian Girl

Reading and looking at the pictures of the three comic strips, I can see that in each one, the little Asian girl is silent on the outside, but actually angry on the inside. She has many thought bubbles to show her real thoughts about how she feels, which she never says to her mother, knowing that it is against the Asian culture to talk back to her parent. Most of the quotes have her mother downing her or getting mad at her for some very small issue. This leads to the stereotypical image of Asian mothers to be always scolding her child for not giving their 100% effort to whatever they are trying to commit to. In the last comic, the little girl is thinking the whole time through about whether she should yell back at her mother, but by the time she realizes about what she should do, her mother leaves the scene without the little girl to express her thoughts out to her mother. In all of the comic strips, she does not have a positive thought about herself and about the things around her.

Question: Do most people read this comic strip for humor or actually to further understand how Asian stereotypes affect that person being offended?

"oppressions are not isolated"

Reading Reflection #10

I really enjoyed "Emergence of Queer Vietnamese America" by Gina Masequesmay because acknowledging the importance of the intersection of various social identities cannot be stressed enough. Even the histories of certain marginalized groups can ignore other histories that need to be told, like how queer Asian Americans are still largely invisible in our society today.

Something clicked when Masequesmay said, 'what feminists have argued as gendered processes in society are specifically “heterogendered” processes.' We should all be fighting against the patriarchy, but I also need to be cognizant of the fact that some women just don't experience certain "patriarchal pressures" and have their own unique experiences as well.

Cute intersectionality print I found on etsy by roaringsoftly

This is why we need intersectionality and why groups like Ô-Môi are being created. White mainstream organizations are often not safe or open spaces for people of color or queer people; and moreover, members of groups such as Ô-Môi have specific and unique needs and challenges that broader groups cannot properly address.

How can all these various organizations connect and interact with one another? How do we create more intersectionality in the white mainstream? How can we make sure that everyone's history gets told?

Felicia Peng
Section A01

Extra Credit Lecture #4: Kathy Chao and the Keys to Success

Calvin Ma
ASA 2

The lecture began with her history and how she came to be in her position as Vice-Mayor of the city of San Pablo. Most of the lecture was centered around one of two topics: how to have a successful career (based off her background) and her work in the Lao Family Community Development program.

Chao began with her college life at Berkeley,where she got into the political field by simply experimenting around to find out what she liked. She joined the Cal in the Capitol program under Pete Wilson, where she demonstrated that independent thinking and not just going along with the norm/others is what gets one recognized. Chao got the position because she had her own thoughts and did not become another "yes man." Being ethical was also important to her, as she talked about how she made decisions based on what was right for the people and not just for herself.

Chao also taught the class how to become politically involved by starting at the lowest levels (the city). Amazingly, a large amount of people do not vote on local matters even though it is what affects them most (decisions from higher levels often take months to years before they are finally felt). This resonates with how as Asian Americans, we should begin shedding light on issues back home before moving to the national level as a group.

Chao emphasized the need to make oneself stand out in a large group by pushing for what one actually wants and by building a social network. For example, when she wanted an internship position (very important, do as many as you can!) she would go as far as to contact the CEO of a company in order to make an impression. She also would research opportunities beforehand and send follow-up thank you notes in order to show that she was really interested in a position. These kinds of aggressive tactics helped her to move up in her career path. Chao also stressed the importance of going out to volunteer and help others in order to build a social network that can be leaned on later.

Finally, Chao talked about her work as the director of the LFCD, which provides basic services to those minorities that are in need.

Cultural Hegemony

Steven Chi

5/29/14

Reading Response #10

In response to “Emergence of Queer Vietnamese America” by Gina Masequesmay

ASA 2 - Section A02

Many support groups look like this today in America, but this methodology is certainly not supported by Ô-Môi.
  

                The article “Emergence of Queer Vietnamese America” was about a queer support organization called Ô-Môi. It followed three individuals, how they came to realize their sexual orientations, and how Ô-Môi, unlike other mainstream queer support organizations, actually catered to their own needs.

To Ô-Môi participants, the organization was also a place for later-generation Vietnamese American queers to reconnect with lost cultural roots and their heritage language. It’s important to note that this support system is one subtle way for Vietnamese queers to fight against “white” hegemony within America. What I mean by this is that, to many Americans, whites tend to overpower other ethnic groups on deciding how societies should be run and that support groups like Ô-Môi help prevent this by giving the suppressed a voice. One example in Masquesmay’s article is “white” organizations that are catered to Vietnamese queers. As good as their intentions they may be, these organizations tend to be “culturally insensitive” compared to Ô-Môi (122).

I argue that other ethnic groups should follow Ô-Môi’s example and set up other support groups – whether they be for alcoholics, overeaters, LGBTQ, or even for youth – that are dedicated to one particular cultural or ethnic background. Not only are these groups psychologically nurturing, but they are also a way to show to the rest of society that these groups' participants should be valued.

Question: How can we promote Ô-Môi’s cultural sensitivity to other support groups, if at all?

Triple Threat

Xanh Tran
ASA2 - A01
Response #10: Emergence of Queer Vietnamese America

Triple Threat 

I think its very important to create space that take intersectionality into consideration, and the overlap of the three marginalized and oppressed identities within Ô-Môi is particular vulnerable. As queer, Vietnamese American women, these individuals face a multitude of difficulties and obstacles that are inextricably intertwined with every aspect of their identity, never only one. The space was created by founders who saw a need for the space for themselves and others who shared their struggles. 

The issue with this organization is that because its target group is so specific, its difficult for it have regular meetings with regular members, especially when its members are so spread out. UC Davis has an organization for Asian Pacific Islander Queers (APIQ), which addresses the intersectioanlity of queerness and Asianness, but is not ethnically specific in its dialogue. There is a Vietnamese Student Association on campus too, but queerness is not a focus of theirs. Because of their inability to form a more specified organization due to small numbers, queer Vietnamese women must find a way to juggle between these identities. Is there a way for individuals in double or triple minorities to create or find specific spaces to share their specific voices and struggles? 

ASA Lecture Series Extra Credit #4: "A Mien American's Journey to Politics"

Extra Credit #4

Melissa Elizalde

Section A01

May 27th, 2014

    A Response to "A Mien American's Journey to Politics"

Lecture by: Kathy Chao Rothberg

           For today's Vietnam War lecture we had the opportunity to have Kathy Chao, the Vice-Mayor for the City of San Pablo and Executive Director of Lao Family Community Development, join us to discuss her journey throughout her political career. Kathy is currently the first Mien American politician in the nation and is a city council member for the City of San Pablo. Mrs. Chao detailed her work with Cal in the Capitol and how she thrived in the political environment because she was an independent thinker. She also described her work in city politics and the process by which her and her four other council members vote on who is going to be mayor. Most importantly, however, Mrs. Chao provided students with practical tips and tricks in order to succeed in our perspective careers. First off she told us that it is okay if we don't know what we want to do at this moment, but that it is critical that we do something. I thought this was an interesting perspective and really encouraged me to keep volunteering and interning for causes that I'm passionate about. She also described that 70-80% of employers hire from references and not via online or newspaper postings. This was an incredibly eye-opening fact and it made me realize that it is truly who you know and not always what you know. Lastly she advised us to be more interested than interesting when applying to jobs. She described this method as a way to show employers that you are more interested in the position and the company than with yourself and your qualifications. Overall I thought Mrs. Chao's lecture was incredibly interesting and informative. In conclusion, I really enjoyed the extra credit series and believe that it positively enhanced by experience in this Asian American Studies course. 
        

The Angry Little Asian Girl

Melanie Wardhana
ASA 002-A02
Reading Response #10
Response to "Angry Little Asian Girl"

These cartoons depict the stereotypical Asian mother as harsh, never encouraging, and always scolding. This is linked to last week's readings about Tiger moms and shows how the little girl is simply doing what she thinks is kind, but her mother scolds her for being wasteful and never doing anything correct. The cartoon that shows the little girl realizing that her mother thinks she is a "nobody", when she is told to be "somebody", exposes the hurt feelings beneath the tough and moody exterior that the little girl usually shows. This little girl is an example of how Asians aren't all harsh, but that their upbringings have a considerable impact on their lives.

Question: Will the Asian stereotype of harsh and strict parents ever go away?

Week 10

Sean Guntvedt
A02

            These “little Asian girl” cartoons give a somewhat accurate depiction of the image of the Tiger mom but with a satirical, comedic twist. However, unlike Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom, these series of comics only serve to present Asian moms in a negative light. This is evident in the fact that the matriarch is illustrated with furrowed brows, hands in the air, and only speaks with exclamations. Furthermore, the “little Asian girl” shows no affection for her mother and only emotes feelings of anger or sadness. In contrast, the “Why I Love My Strict Chinese Mom” article reveals that being raised by a Tiger Mom clearly is not as bad as the “Little Asian Girl” cartoons make it out to be. For instance, Sophia Chua proclaims that her mother taught her to give her 110% all the time and to only be satisfied with perfect work. On the other hand, “little Asian girl” constantly feels frustrated with her mother.

Question: Compare and contrast the two articles of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom and “Little Asian Girl.” How do you see your upbringing reflected in these two works?

Asian Mothers: Cultural Altercations

Cheyne Fujimoto
Blog 10: Motherly Love

This cartoon was similar to the readings in the previous week about Tiger Moms except this was more explicitly negative. The girl's reaction seemed internal and depicted a gamut of emotions from anger to confusion to sadness. The focus was, however, anger clearly in the title of the cartoon.

I talked to an Asian girl on my return trip to Davis this past weekend. She said how her mom called her fat and then called her skinny within 10 minutes. This is clearly because of the fact that Asian parents express such things with criticism, similarly to how Tiger Moms are highly aggressive in their motivation tactics. As a result, this yields resentment in their children. Also, this addresses how Asian people in general produce this feeling of internal resentment, potentially damaging the relationship between parent and child in the Asian American community.

Question: Will these experiences change how these Asians parent their kids?

This video depicts satirically how Asian American mothers act, including these ideas presented in the article.

Super Moms

Ben Weller
Section A02
Reading Reflection week 9
In Response to: "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior" by Amy Chua

  Reading this article by Amy Chua gave me really mixed feelings. On one hand I understand what the article is trying to say, but on the other hand I see two big red flags in the article. In the article it is discussed that the stereotype is true that Asian mothers always push their kids really hard to succeed academically. While there are given studies to show this to be true, I feel that this isn't representative of how people act as this generalization gives a loss of personality and understanding to the true nature of this stereotype of Asian mothers. I can't speak for everyone as I only have one mother, but my mom is 100% Chinese and although she would agree with some of the ideas and contribute to the statistics, she wouldn't agree with many of the ideas and would put her own idea and reasoning behind some of the statistics that don't match up to the stereotype at all.

  The main issue that I have with this article is in the title itself. Specifically the word superior. To me, the word superior suggests that Chinese Mothers are better in every way. Although in some was such as academics I would believe this to be true, I don't believe this speaks to shaping a child to be well rounded. A child needs to be able to live and have certain freedoms all the while, while learning discipline and values that will affect who they are when they grow up. Furthermore I don't believe that "Chinese mother VS Western Mother" can speak to morale values in terms of what is "superior". There is no one right way to raise a child and isn't even possible considering that fact that each child is different by nature in his or her own way.




Questions: 
1) Can there really be a best way to raise a child?
2) What is importance and difference in nature vs nurture while raising a child?

In response Why I Love my Chinese Tiger Mom

ASA2
Sherry Yuan
Section 1
Week 9

This article really intrigued me. I can relate very intimately to Amy's specific ideas about her culture, and more specifically about her mother. My mother is even stricter than hers. In her story she mentioned that she can have freedom as long as she finishes her tasks. This sounds more like capitalism and an incentive based system than the system I grew up in. The author thinks that her mom is strict because she creates rules, but my situation was actually strict. To me, it sounds like this article is a bit exaggerated. The title is misleading. The definition of true strictness is when your parents use the idea that "grown ups are more experienced and can make better decisions than their children". Amy should have title her article as Why I love my Mother. This is because what Amy explains is what a mom should be. The idea of strictness is inherent in the title of being a mom. If you title your mom as being more strict than what a her name already implies then there must be more severe systems in place.

Q: How could a tiger mom be more efficient?

American Opportunities Paired with Asian Values

Jennifer Le
Section A01
Reflection 9: Why I love my strict Chinese Mom

    Many non-Asians have the misconception that Asian-American children are dominated by a pair of oppressive and strict parents that dictate their lives and limit their activities to the academic realm. This myth was especially magnified with Amy Chua's book titled Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom, which describes the strict parenting technique of an Chinese-American mother. When I first heard of the Tiger Mom, I had many of the same reactions as the rest of the American public. It was a mixture of disbelief, horror, shock, pity, and  then relief that my parents weren't like that. However, the letter from her daughter, Sophia Chua-Rubenfield, changed how I saw her parenting technique. Though maybe exaggerated by the media, it could be argued that Chua achieved the American dream that many Asian-Americans dream they could provide for their children. Amy Chua achieved the dream of class mobility by affording her children more opportunities. At the same time, she made sure they didn't grow up to be spoiled, ungrateful, and lazy children by having a strict, Chinese-influenced household. Many Asian-American parents would probably aspire to be like Amy Chua because of the opportunities she gave her children, which they sadly can't give to their own. Also, many working-class families  or language skills to be active in their children's lives, creating a more distanced and absent parenting household. While Amy Chua's parenting style isn't a factory perfect model of how to create perfect children, it is based on good intentions. It leads me to the question: What is worse? An absent parent that that neglects their children, or a present parent that can be too involved in their children's lives?

Response 9

Sophia Lam

ASA 2 Sec 1

5/25/14

Response 9: Why I love My Strict Chinese Mom

                This article struck me as offensive at first because it generalizes the average typical Asian parent. However, I found it humorous as it was relatable to how my parents have raised me, although my parents still incorporated Western styles of raising me as well. Often at times, I feel as if the way Asians raise their children is either exaggerated or misinterpreted which creates an Asian stereotype. My parents have been strict on me, but they have always made sure that I understood why they were being strict. Because of this, I felt blessed to have parents to teach me this way. Yet the Asian parent stereotype derived from an outsider’s perspective looking in to an Asian family. Therefore, it seems as if Asian children are living miserable lives which may not be necessarily true. What other assumptions have been made about Asians without firsthand experience?

~Gordon Ramsay~

Reading Reflection #9

"Why I Love My Strict Chinese Mom" was written by a daughter in response to the criticism her mother received for her book, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom." The mother, Amy Chua, has been criticized for being a horrible parent, and has even received death threats for her book. Her daughter Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld, however, has a very different view of her mother. Instead of seeing an overly aggressive and critical parent, Sophia sees a woman who pushed her to do her very best...a woman who didn't let her get away with lazy, sloppy work.

I thought this article was sweet. I haven't read the book and don't know anything about the mother or the family (except for what I just read), but from this piece, it is clear that Sophia is doing just fine and grew up to be pretty "normal" and well-adjusted. I think the important thing is that Sophia didn't find her mother's words and actions to be demoralizing or self-esteem shattering. Instead, she knew her mother believed she had great abilities, which is why she was getting pushed so hard. Maybe Sophia is just a tough cookie or something, or maybe her mom has a good handle on how to be critical and harsh in the best way possible.

It makes me think of Gordon Ramsay. He yells and swears and calls people dimwits and idiots, but he actually knows how to make people work hard and feel pride in their work. He goes ballistic when people get things wrong or get lazy...but when people get things right, they feel amazing when he tells them so. Obviously I don't fault anyone for disagreeing with his methods, but I think Ramsay has found an amazingly effective balance. And, I really think he's a sweet and compassionate person. Too much of a tangent? I've been watching a lot of Hell's Kitchen.

Anyway, do you think parents can be harsh without totally destroying their kids? Or do you think it just takes a special kind of kid to handle that kind of pressure and standards? What do you think of Gordon Ramsay???

Felicia Peng
Section A01

Limiting Your Kid's Interests?

Peggy Li
A01
Response 9 on "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior" by Amy Chua

From what I can see in that excerpt,  Amy Chua was pretty a very hardcore tiger mom. Harping and shouting at your 7 year old kid to play a complicated piano piece, with techniques she's probably never encountered before) all through the night sounds harsh. But Lulu actually succeeded in playing that piece, after those hours of shouting and "encouraging" insults. It makes me think that if parents never, never stop harping on a kid until they succeed, then the kid would eventually succeed, versus just intense "encouragement" and then giving up on particularly hard cases, which, without that success, might make the kid believe they actually are worthless. In the other article by Chua's older daughter, she says that her mom taught her to always give "110%", and also says that she still had fun times with her mom, as long as she got her other responsibilities done. And that sounds reasonable; Have fun when you've done your responsibilities.
Still, even if the "tiger mom" method works for some, I still think it's kind of cruel in it's ferocity and necessarily limits what the kid will grow up enjoying into specific, usually profitable and "respectable" sectors.
Question: Does this method stifle interests the kid might have that are different from what their parents want, or would Chua incorporate those interests with the same fervor?

Tiger Cub

Melanie Wardhana
ASA002-A02
Reading Response #9
Response to "Why I love my strict Chinese mom"

Amy Chua's daughter, Sophia, is speaking her mind on the writings her mother published about how she raised her children. Amy's writings were highly criticized as her audience viewed her parenting as restrictive and improper. Sophia decided to let her thoughts be known so that the audience could see an inside view on how being Amy's daughter was like. She wanted to let the public be aware of the fact that it really wasn't as bad as they might think, and she felt as though she grew more independent because of her upbringing.
Growing up, I was also the one who other parents and other kids would say had incredibly strict parents. They allowed me to do more recreational activities than Amy let her daughters do, but I was still expected to do chores and help cook dinner among other tasks. I even learned how to pump gas starting at the age of 11! In my young mind, I would feel that they were simply chores, but at the same time I would feel like I was being cheated out of having fun. My friends didn't have to do chores, why did I have to?! Just like Sophia, however, I am very grateful to my parents for raising me in a manner that taught me respect and responsibility. When I first came to college, I realized that I felt more confident about living without my family to guide me than others in my dorm. Over time, this has grown to how I feel now - confident in my capabilities as an independent citizen to live my own life and know I can survive well.

Question: Is there really a right or wrong way to raise children? Are Asians the only ethnic group to be strict on their children?

Why the Tiger Mom Parenting Style Doesn't Always Work

Reading Reflection #9

Melissa Elizalde

Section A01

May 25th, 2014

    A Response to "Why I love my strict Chinese mom"

by: Mandy Stadtmiller

        This week I had the opportunity to read Mandy Stadtmiller's article detailing Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld's response to the criticism her mother received after writing an article on why Chinese moms are superior. Among the topics we've discussed in this class, I think this one is the most interesting. I am deeply interested in the Tiger Mom phenomenon and I think this article did a good job detailing this phenomenon from the viewpoint of a child. One of the first ideas that caught my eye was the fact that Amy Chua, like many other Chinese mothers, did not let her child have a childhood. I can't imagine having my childhood pre-planned for me without the ability to grow and discover my own interests. Sophia Chua gave an interesting response to said criticism by saying that her mother's parenting techniques actually allowed her to be independent. I personally don't think that this type of parenting allows for independent thinking but Sophia's opinion did allow me to critically think about where independent thinking actually comes from. Another interesting opinion that Sophia discussed was the fact that creativity takes effort. I would agree with this idea but I believe that initial creativity does not need effort, it should be fostered from within. Lastly I would like to comment on Sophia's idea that living life to the fullest means pushing yourself to your limits. I personally disagree with this idea and believe that living life to the fullest is about helping others, not yourself. Although I didn't agree with most of the opinions that Sophia Chua gave, it was nonetheless interesting to observe this phenomenon from a young adult's perspective. 

Question 1: What are your opinions on the Tiger Mom phenomenon? Do you agree with this parenting style? Why or why not?

Question 2: Would you describe your mom as a Tiger Mom? Why or why not?

Tiger Mom

In Response to “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” By Amy Chua

I first heard of Amy Chua, the Tiger Mom, when she was on the Today show a couple of years ago publicizing the book that this excerpt is taken from.  When I first saw her on the Today show, I thought she made Asian people look bad by reinforcing stereotypes.  After reading this excerpt, I am still troubled by Amy Chua’s argument.  First of all, I don’t understand why Chua could’t have just released a parenting book based on just her personal experiences, without bringing in all Chinese parents.  Secondly, it bothers me how in Chua’s argument there are only two types of parents, Western and Chinese.  In the excerpt, Chua explains that Western and Chinese parenting styles can be adopted by parents of any race.  So I don’t understand why she decided to label the two different styles “Chinese” and “Western”.  Although I see flaws in Chua’s argument, I also see similarities in how she describes the Chinese parent and my own Chinese mother’s parenting methods.  Chua states that a difference between Chinese parents and Western parents is that Chinese parents assume that their children are strong and capable.  When I was really young my mother pushed me to achieve and forced me to do extracurricular activities that I did not enjoy.  I am thankful that my mother assumed strength, because I have internalized this strength and belief in my capacity.  However, my mother used the same parenting methods on my brother and they were damaging.  My parents are in the process of  learning that they need to approach parenting differently with him because he is not like me.  So fundamentally I do I not believe that Chua’s Chinese parenting model is the best model of patenting for every child.  I also disagree with her nomenclature. 

Do you think Chua brought race into her parenting book for publicity?

Breana Inoshita

Section A02

Response #9

Week 9 section 2 Lee,

Week 9 response Nguyen takes a stand against Tyranny

Strangely enough, my recent thoughts have been in line with this article. In this response, I wish to bring up the discussion of Communism. Recently, I have been thinking about who is considered the ultimate enemy, the ultimate polar antagonist of the White Imperialist male. Is that ultimate enemy the black people, the opposite contrast of the White color? Is the history of how the white men have deemed black people inferior to the white race an evidence to this? Recently I have been thinking that this black vs white idea is not the only issue. Recently I have been pondering the idea of the White vs the Asian. I believe the ultimate enemy of the White race may be Asians. Recently I have been considering the hatred people, especially White people have for Asians. And this coincides with the term Communist. Communist is such a taboo term in America that it is not fully understood. We hear this term, we know who it refers to, yet we know little to nothing about it. We only know, that the Communist is the enemy of Capitalism, and that we should fear the Communist. Now… think about it… Which direction, which area, which continent, WHAT Color is the skin of a Communist? What color is my skin? I, now, know that I run the risk of being called, being labeled, being categorized as a Communist because of the color of my skin, by anyone who so choose to do so. Even if I am not one, because of the color of my skin, I can be regarded as an enemy of America. The question is: Do you fear being labeled a Communist? Do you understand the consequences and dangers of being called a communist in this country?

David Le 

Blog post 9 

ASA 02 

Section 01 

In response to " Why I Love My Strict Chinese Mom" 

Reading this article have made me think of two possible reactions that I will get: One, I will not like it because it falls and support the typical asian stereotype or two, I will enjoy the content of the article. Luckily it was the second impression only because it was a testimony of Amy's daughter. Her perspective of how strict her mother was completely different from how others would perceive it. I remember when I was younger my peers around me would make fun of me for being successful in school and other things and the only reason I were able to is because of my  strict Vietnamese parents. So when reading this article it open up my perspective towards strict parenting because I wasn't looking at it as if my parents wanted me to do my best in school but as if nothing I could do will be good enough for them.

What make's strict parenting so bad since the benefits are big? How come Asians are looked down or made fun of for having "Asian parenting"? 

Response to “Why I love my Strict Chinese Mom”

Joseph Wu

A01

Response #9

Why I love my Strict Chinese Mom

I grew up in a strict Asian household where the stereotypical parenting happened. I had to play the violin and piano, couldn’t get lower than As, couldn’t play videogames and have high expectations placed on me. The biggest problem was that I was really unmotivated. I easily get excited to do something, but if it doesn’t have any variety or have any instant results, I would immediately get tired of it and try something else. This was what happened with school. I would be excited for the school year to start, and I would try my best, but after a while, it became monotonous and I would start to slack off. Rinse and repeat every year. My parents were definitely not pleased at this and they would be furious, but after several years of this happening, I got used to it. Obviously all the scolding and punishments would have a negative effect on my self-esteem. Also I wasn’t allowed to hang out with my friends and participate in activities unless it was going to help my admissions into college. This really made me socially awkward which didn’t help since I have social anxiety as well. During junior year and senior year in high school, I created a film and visual effects group with my friends so we would film movies and short films after school. This gave me a chance to be more sociable and getting used to meeting more people. I think after how hard they tried with me, they lowered their expectations of me. I was allowed to express my artistic and creative side more under one condition that I still go somewhere into the medical profession.

I don’t think that an extreme way of parenting would be good for the children, yet an extremely relaxed way isn’t the best either. I’ve seen kids that were restricted from doing anything when they were young, and when they finally got to college and experienced their first taste of freedom, they went all out and didn’t care about their studies. The opposite is just as bad as well. I think for parenting we need to find the happy medium that espouses the importance of trying hard and getting good grades, and allows the child to experience the adventures and experiences of being a kid. Will it be possible to have the child succeed through “Asian parenting” yet allow them to have fun once in a while? 

Tiger Mom

Jiayu Zeng

Section 02

Reading Reflection 9

In response to: “Why I love my strict Chinese mom”

In this article, Sophie Chua-Rubenfeld talked how she thought about her mom’s parenting style, which had been criticized by many parents and readers. She admitted that she had moments that she could not do the things she wanted; however, in the end, she is thankful to have a strict mom because she became an independent person and achieved a lot. Using her words, Sophie felt people did not understand how great her mom was and how much she done for her children; also, she knew many people did not agree with her mom’s parenting method and this method was different from many parents’, but she still thought her mom did great for them. Although this was the child’s perspective, her perspective was created depending upon her parents’ words and perspective.

I could understand Tiger mom was strict to her children because she wanted to help them be successful. However, I did not agree that she limited her children’s choices and opportunities for their lives. Sophie said her mom gave them a lot of freedom, but her mom did not allow them to play musical instruments other than the piano and violin, and to watch TV. I think this kind of parenting style might work for some children, but it should not be normalized and promoted as a standard for parenting to the public.