Week 3
A03
Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety: Ethnic, Gender and Generational Differences
in Asian American Access and Choices
In Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety: Ethnic, Gender and Generational Differences in Asian American Access and Choices, OiYan Poon and Ajani Byrd discuss the stereotypical depiction of Asian American parents and the differences among Asian Americans that influence their decisions in the college selection process. They conducted research and found that there were "significant and nuanced differences" among the Asian Americans concerning ethnicity, college-going generation, and gender which subsequently affects the way an individual chose colleges. In the context of ethnicity, East Asian Americans tended to report that college ranking is more important and being close to home is less important. As for differences between college-going generations, first-generation college students valued their teachers' and counselors' opinions over that of others; the teachers and counselors were their guides in a process through which the students' parents never went through. The differences in gender were characterized by the fact that women were more likely to be influenced by their interpersonal relationships in the process than their male classmates.
When I read the title of this article, I already knew that I would have some sort of personal reaction to it. My parents were never "tiger parents", and they always reassured me that they would support any decision that I made, not just in academics, but in life. Because of this, a lot of the pressure that I had to succeed came from myself, not anyone else around me. Similarly to some of the research subjects from the article, I am a first generation college student (in America), so my parents never took a huge part in my college selection process. Instead, I relied on my high school teachers, counselors, and even my peers to help me apply and decide. Due to my personal experiences as an Asian American immigrant, I really resonated with the main theme of the article -- that stereotypical views of Asian Americans and immigrant Asian parental behaviors should be challenged and that people should keep in mind that all Asian Americans are not monolithic.
Question: Why is it that there is a perception that all Asian American immigrant parents embody the "tiger mom" stereotype when the phenomenon is supposed to be a manifestation of traditional Chinese parenting?
References:
N. (2016, May 24). Voices: Do You Have A 'Tiger Mom'? | NBC Asian America. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrUgCe4e7t4
Poon, O and A Byrd. "Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety: Ethnic, Gender and Generational Differences in Asian American College Access and Choices." Journal of College Admission, 2013.
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