Why Chinese Mothers are Superior
Chinese children have, for a long time, been known to be stereotypically successful. In most cases, the growth of a child is associated with the parenting that they receive from their early childhood. Moreover, mothers are seen to be at the center of a child’s development. Mothers in China have hit the headlines for being some of the most recognized mothers in the world. In 2011, a debate uproar was raised on the New York Times newspaper on why the Chinese mothers are superior, and the debate has been ongoing since then. Mothers who give rise to geniuses for a continuous-time span can only be identified as superwomen given the challenges associated with the upbringing of children.
Amy Chua stages the debate on Why Chinese Mothers are Superior in her book, “Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother.” Amy Chua is Chinese and brought up as an immigrant in the US, exposing her to challenges that made her recognize her mother’s strength (Chua, 2011). Immigrants are generally faced with many challenges ranging from discrimination to poverty. However, Chua was lucky to have a Chinese mother who was on toes to ensure that Chua did not feel the heat of the challenges caused by immigration. Generally, Chua’s mother acted as a shield between Chua and the world that would have otherwise been cruel. Generally, Chua recognizes the role of submission that the world has placed on the shoulders of women. However, Chua explains how Chinese women use the power of submission to build empires from which their children grow into superheroes.
The setting of Chua’s story is crucial in creating a significant comparison between parenting strategies. America has been affected by diversity, and people and most Americans have chosen to follow new cultures. However, the Chinese in America have stayed true to their culture, and parenting has been one of the maintained concepts ((Chua, 2011)). Generally, children in the US are given the freedom to choose their career path as well as to remain independent in decision making. The case is, however, not similar to children born of Chinese Mothers. The parenting strategy of Chinese mothers involves breaking a child to full potential and bringing out every possible ability that they could be in possession. Chinese children eventually adapt to parenting strategies and grow to become confident and more responsible. Generally, the parenting strategies among Chinese women involve sacrificing the bond that could be a barrier to breaking the child to full potential for the sake of equipping the child with crucial skills required in life. Therefore, Chinese mothers do not bring up their children with the softness expected but end up having the best children in terms of talent and innovation; hence, the name super mothers.
Ethos is employed in the essay “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” and acts towards proving Chua’s confidence in making her claim. Generally, the comparison is between western parenting and Chinese parenting. For example, western parenting is based on the belief that a child should be cared for and supported as they find their potential in life. Therefore, the parent is only responsible for the care and direction in the lives of their children. Chua is a Chinese mother and proudly represents the other side of the story. According to Chua, a Chinese is owed everything by their child. Therefore, the Chinese mother is responsible for every decision that a child will make. Moreover, the Chinese mother should, under all conditions, bring out the potential in their child at the earliest possible age. The difference between Chinese and Western parenting is found in the way care is defined in both settings.
The debate on why Chinese mothers are superior is, however, not based on fairness from both parties. Generally, the argument features a comparison between a Chinese mother and a western mother (Lee, 2016). Unfortunately, the mover of the debate is a Chinese mother, Chua, and takes sides with the Chines mothers. According to Chua, being a western mother is terrible because one does not know their roles as a parent. Second, western parents do not give their children the right guidelines, and children end up choosing the wrong career paths and fail at an older age. Chua supports the strategy used by Chinese mothers to break their children and help them recognize their potential at an early age. The impacts of forcing children into knowing their potential at old age are, however, not covered by Chua.
In sum, mothers who give rise to geniuses for a continuous-time span can only be identified as superwomen given the challenges associated with the upbringing of children. Amy Chua stages the debate on Why Chinese Mothers are Superior in her book, “Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother.” Chinese mothers do not bring up their children with the softness expected but end up having the best children in terms of talent and innovation; hence, the name super mothers. Generally, the ability to bring children into the recognition of their full potential at an early age defines a Chinese woman.
Reference
Chua, A. (2011). Why Chinese mothers are superior. The Wall Street Journal, 8.
Lee, J. H. (2016). Model Maternity: Amy Chua and Asian American Motherhood. Global Asian American Popular Cultures, 61.