Week 2 - Billy Chen

Billy Chen

Section A02

Week 2

The article, “Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety,” by Oiyan Poon and Ajarri Byrd challenges the stereotypical views surrounding the role Asian American parents play on their children’s choice of college or university. Growing up, the idea of college was always stressed to me by my parents. I only began to take school seriously during my junior and senior years of high school when college applications and admissions were nearing. My parents weren’t as concerned about what college or university I planned to attend, but more about continuing my education. Because a majority of Asian American students come from immigrant Asian parents, I think it’s very common for them to push their children to succeed higher and gain more opportunities for their futures than they were able to. “Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety” discusses a student named Caitlin, whom I can really relate to. Because my parents did not attend college, it was difficult to go to them for help or ask for advice regarding the admission process. Similar to Caitlin, my mentor in high school  was Filipino, making it easier and more comfortable to talk to him about college about college than my teachers who were dominantly white.

When determining which universities to apply to and attend, I focused on ranking, location, and the amount of financial aid that would potentially be awarded amongst other factors. Although Asian Americans are often generalized into the same group, there are many differences in the college admission process that vary with each different ethnicity. I believe that there needs to be a bigger spotlight on Asian American students going to college. There is a very old and prevalent stereotype in our world today that Asian American students are naturally smart and don’t always have to work hard to get to where they are because they have a lot of help from their parents that push them to succeed. Tiger Moms no longer play a significant role in the college admission process for Asian American students. There are now several other factors that aid in the decision process.

Question: Do different parenting styles reflect on how your childrens offspring are taught? Does it get passed down or can it be changed?

References:

1. Poon, O., & Byrd, A. (2013). “Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety: Ethnic, Gender and Generational Difference in Asian American College Access and Choices.” Journal of College Admissions, 23-30. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
2. https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2016/03/04/GettyImages-71586270.jpg