Why Chinese Mothers are Messed Up

[marrael]

Yeah, I read Amy Chua's article in the WSJ, and I know now that her book on the subject, reportedly, also talks about the pitfalls of the "Chinese" style of suppresion parenting. Counter arguments have been presented by others. (My favourites are here and here, with the most notable piece of info from the links being the discovery that the rate of

Comments

[catvalente]

This was really fascinating to read--especially as someone married to the child of Russian immigrants, who often have the same ideas about how all children should be doctors and their job is to take care of their parents. We've been struggling with this lately as it's become clear that their whole plan for life was us giving up everything we want to give them the old age they want.

[marrael]

I also wrote the post based on my experiences growing up in a place where the Chinese are the majority--immigrants (usually third or fourth generation), but still the majority, and in some ways trying harder to be Chinese once they were out of China. And filial piety is such a huge Chinese thing.

[demonsismondo]

I guess it's no surprise that today's Straits Times ran the article. Chua's brand of smug self-congratulation is right up their alley.

You probably don't want to get me started on the whole "Asian Values" thing. While at NUS I was astounded at how many of my fellow students parroted it, and at how simplistic their understanding of the whole thing was.

Also, the anti-Westerner diatribes you received obviously had the intended effect upon you, didn't they? Ha ha.

[marrael]

Oh, it was worse at NTU, I bet. No surprise I could only tolerate that place for one year.