Yes, I have read Amy Chua's Wall Street Journal piece, "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior," and yes, I think the author is crazy.You wouldn't believe how many people sent me this link over the weekend, expressing varying levels of outrage and exasperation. To be honest, at first I thought it was satire, until I was hit with the sickening, sinking realization that Chua is dead serious. She's completely embraced the model minority myth, and is the living embodiment of the Hardass Asian Mom... on friggin' steroids.
The whole thing is a cringe-inducing, stereotype-laden proclamation of her superior parenting model -- the Chinese way. Which, from what I can tell, means a sad, joyless existence filled with long, grueling hours of studying, homework, violin/piano practice and verbal asskicking. I'm putting it pretty mildly, compared to what Chua's kids must have to endure.
It must suck to be Amy Chua's kids.
There are so many things wrong with this piece, and plenty of bloggers have already leveled their criticism at Ms. Chua. I'd just like to know what the kids will have to say about their mom and their own self-esteem in ten, maybe even five years from now. What happens when kids realize that they actually hate the lives their parents have relentlessly pushed on them? I'm genuinely curious.
You know what sucks? A lot of Wall Street Journal readers are probably going to read this smug, bull$#!t piece and feel like they got some lightning bolt understanding of Asian behavior, as if they've now been made privy to some Ancient Chinese Secrets. Oh, I get it now. I understand why all the Asian kids are soulless, unfun automatons. Thanks, Professor Chua.