Summary of "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior"

In her article “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior,” which was published in the Wall Street Journal on January 8th, 2011, Amy Chua claims that children raised by Chinese mothers are more successful in their live than children that are raised by Western mothers. According to the author, Chinese parents' beliefs enable their kids to excel since they result in a strict, direct and strong education. Chua described a study of 50 Western mothers and 48 Chinese immigrant mothers that revealed that Chinese mothers believe that the academic success of their kids is the direct consequence of their good parenting.  Also, Chua points out that Chinese mothers spend ten times longer working with their kids’ academic activities in contrast to Western mothers that prefer to spend more time with their kids on sport activities  In contrast, Western mothers believe that academic success should not be stressed for their kids. According to the author, there are three differences that cause this.  First, Chinese parents do not care so much about their kid's self-esteem as Western parents do. Second, Chinese parents assert that any goal that their kids reach in life is thanks to their parents. Third, Chinese parents are sure that they always know what is best for them.

  In my view, although there are undeniable differences between how Chinese and western parents raise their kids, I cannot say that one kind of parenting is innately better than the other.  In addition, the author overemphasizes Chinese people as a singular parenting group.  At times she includes Korean and other ethnicities as qualifying as "Chinese" people.  This strikes me as plain racist.  I feel that she is clearly condescending towards Western culture and has a strong bias against it.  It is also my opinion that the kind of parenting that Chua advocates, is totalitarian in nature and forces their kids to excel at a few particular subjects, as she says, Math, Violin and Piano.  I want to emphasize that this kind of education does not guarantee a happy child or a balanced learning, and therefore I don't agree with her assessment that it is "better".  I mean, what is the point of life? Just to be a math whiz? Or be happy?  So, maybe Chua should more accurately say, if we are to believe everything she says, that Chinese parents are better at raising Math/Piano/Violin Whizzes.