hymn

BattleHymnoftheTigerMother

completesubtitleofthebookis:―Thisisastoryaboutamother,twodaughters,and

ssuppodtobeastoryofhowChineparentsarebetteratraising

tead,it'saboutabitterclashofcultures,afleeting

tasteofglory,andhowIwashumbledbyathirteen-year-old.‖

Summary

WallStreetJournalpreview

Anarticlepublishedundertheheadline―WhyChineMothersAreSuperior‖inthe

WallStreetJournalonJanuary8,2011,containedexcerptsfromherbook,inwhich

Chuadescribeshereffortstogiveherchildrenwhatshedescribesasatraditional,

strict―Chine‖adersbelievedthat

Chuawasadvocatingthe―superiority‖ofaparticular,verystrict,ethnicallydefined

fines―Chinemother‖loolytoincludeparentsof

otherethnicitieswhopracticetraditional,strictchild-rearing,whilealso

acknowledgingthat―Westernparentscomeinallvarieties,‖andnotallethnically

Chineparentspracticestrictchild-rearing.

Chuaalsoreportedthatinonestudyof48Chineimmigrantmothers,thevast

majority―saidthattheybelievetheirchildrencanbe‗thebest‘students,whichsome

peoplethinkitisnotright,that‗academicachievementreflectssuccessfulparenting,‘

andthatifchildrendidnotexcelatschoolthentherewas‗aproblem‘andparents

‗werenotdoingtheirjob.‘‖Whilenotendorsingtheirviews,Chuacontraststhem

withtheviewshelabels―Western‖-thatachild‘slf-esteemisparamount.

Inoneextremeexample,Chuamentionedthatshehadcalledoneofherchildren

―garbage,‖atranslationofatermherownfathercalledheronoccasioninher

family‘ularlycontroversialwasthe‗LittleWhite

Donkey‘anecdote,whereChuadescribedhowshegotherunwillingyounger

‘swords,―…IhauledLulu‘s

dollhoutothecarandtoldherI‘ddonateittotheSalvationArmypiecebypieceif

shedidn‘thave‗TheLittleWhiteDonkey‘lusaid,‗I

thoughtyouweregoingtotheSalvationArmy,whyareyoustillhere?‘Ithreatened

herwithnolunch,nodinner,noChristmasorHanukkahprents,nobirthdayparties

fortwo,three,estillkeptplayingitwrong,Itoldhershewas

purpolyworkingherlfintoafrenzybecaushewascretlyafraidshecouldn‘t

ertostopbeinglazy,cowardly,lf-indulgentandpathetic.‖Theythen

―work[ed]rightthroughdinner‖withoutlettingherdaughter―getup,notforwater,

notevenforbathroombreaks.‖Theanecdoteconcludesbydescribinghowher

daughterwas―beaming‖aftershefinallymasteredthepieceand―wantedtoplayover

andover.‖

Reception

TheWallStreetJournalarticlegeneratedahugerespon,bothpositiveandnegative.

CharlesMurrayoftheAmericanEnterpriInstitute,forinstance,arguedthat―large

numbersoftalentedchildreneverywherewouldprofitfromChua‘sapproach,and

insteadarefritteringawaytheirgifts—they‘renicekids,notbrats,buttheyarealso

lf-indulgentandinclinedtomakeexcusforthemlves.‖InapollontheWall

StreetJournalwebsiteregardingChua‘srespontoreaders,two-thirdsof

respondentssaidthe―DemandingEastern‖parentingmodelisbetterthanthe

―PermissiveWestern‖model.

AllisonPearsonwonderedthefollowinginTheDaily

Telegraph:―AmyChua‘sphilosophyofchild-rearingmaybeharshandnotforthe

fainthearted,butaskyourlfthis:isitreallycruelerthanthelaisz-faireindifference

andbabysitting-by-TVwhichtoooftenpassforparentingthedays?‖

AnniePaul,writingforTime,describes,―Inthe2008bookANationofWimps,author

HaraEstroffMarano,editor-at-largeofPsychologyTodaymagazine,marshals

evidencesupportingChua'sapproach.‗Rearchdemonstratesthatchildrenwhoare

protectedfromgrapplingwithdifficulttasksdon‘tdevelopwhatpsychologistscall

‗masteryexperiences,‘‘Maranoexplains."Kidswhohavethiswell-earnednof

masteryaremoreoptimisticanddecisive;they'velearnedthatthey'recapableof

overcomingadversityandachievinggoals."AnnHulbertofSlateremarksonChua‘s

―writtenthekindofexposéusuallystaged

laterbyformerprodigiesthemlves....[Chua]isatigerwhoroarsratherthanpurrs.

That'sbecaunochild,shepointsout,naturallyclamorsforthe‗tenaciouspractice,

practice,practice‘thatmasterydemands.‖

MSNBCstatedthatthearticle―readsalternatelylikeahow-toguide,asatireora

lament.‖MSNBC‘scriticalrespongoesontostatethat―thearticlesoundsso

incredibletoWesternreaders–andmanyAsianones,too–thatmanypeoplethought

thewholethingwassatire...butaspectsofheressayresonatedprofoundlywithmany

people,especiallyChineAmericans–notnecessarilyinagoodway.‖Inthe

FinancialTimes,IsabelBerwickcalledthe―tigermother‖approachtoparenting―the

exactoppositeofeverythingthattheWesternliberalholdsdear.‖

CharingBallofTheAtlantaPoststatedthatChua‘sparentingstylehas―lesstodo

withculturaldifferenceandmoretodowithaffluentclassism.‖Ballfelt―[h]er

insistencethatherchildrenlearn...thepiano[or]violin[is]reflectiveof...classic

culturalsnobbery‖andthatmanystrugglingworking-classfamiliescouldnotafford

rooksoftheNewYorkTimes,inan

op-edpieceentitled‗AmyChuaisa―Wimp‖‘,wrotethathebelievedChuawas

―coddlingherchildren‖becau―managingstatusrivalries,negotiatinggroup

dynamics,understandingsocialnorms,navigatingthedistinctionbetweenlfand

group—theandothersocialtestsimpocognitivedemandsthatblowawayany

intentutoringssionoraclassatYale.‖TheWashingtonPost,whilenotascritical,

didsuggestthat―endingaparentingstorywhenonechildisonly15ems

premature.‖

OthershavenotedthattheWallStreetJournalarticletookexcerptsonlyfromthe

beginningofthebook,andnotfromanyofthelaterchaptersinwhichChuadescribes

herretreatfromwhatshecalls―Chine‖AmyGutmanfeltmany

havemisdthepointofChua‘sbook,whichshedescribedas―comingofage‖,and

statesthecontroversialexamplesshowninthebook―reflectwhereChuastarted,not

whosheistoday,andpassingjudgmentonherbadonthemstrikesmeasabitakin

topassingjudgmentonJaneAusten‘sEmmaforherchurlishbehaviortoMissBates.

LikeEmma‘s,Chua‘‘sacoming-of-agestory--wheretheone

tocomeofageistheparent.‖Prawfsblawg,comparingChuatoJean-Jacques

Rousau,notesthat―thestoryofhercomingtotermswiththeresistanceand

rebellionofoneofhertwodaughtersisasimportantandperhapsmoreimportantthan

Chua‘(massive)concessiontoliberalism‘sconcernwith

individuality,Chuaadmitsthattraditionaldisciplinejustwon‘tworkwithsome

children,includingmembersofherownfamily.‖

JonCarrolloftheSanFranciscoChroniclefelttheexcerptsintheWallStreetJournal

articlefailedtoreprentthecontentinChua‘sbookandstatesthat―theexcerptwas

torswantedtomakea

nsation;thepublisherswanttollbooks‖but―itdoesnottellthewholestory.‖A

spokeswomanfortheWallStreetJournaltoldtheColumbiaJournalismReviewthat

―[w]eworkedextensivelywithAmy‘spublisher,aswealwaysdowithbookexcerpts,

andtheysignedoffonthechonextractinadvance.‖Chuamaintainsthat―[t]he

Jour

hadnoideathey‘dputthatkindofatitleonit.‖

OnMarch29,2011,theWallStreetJournalorganizedaneventunderthetitle'The

ReturnofTigerMom'enthasdiscusd

differentaspectsofchild-raising,inamoresubtleandnon-nsationalmanner,

a's

husband,JedRubenfeld,andtheirtwodaughtershavealsoattendedtheevent.

Rubenfeld,whohasbecomeknownas'TigerDad,'hassaidthathedoesn'tethe

TigerMomeducationmethodasareprentativeofChineeducation,butrathera

huaexpresdamoreliberalattitude

comparedwiththeWallStreetJournal'sarticle,whilestillstressingtheimportanceof

disciplineinachild'arlyyears.

Chua'sdefen

follow-uparticleintheWallStreetJournal,Chuaexplainsthat―myactualbookisnot

ahow-toguide;it'samemoir,thestoryofourfamily'sjourneyintwocultures,and

thebookisaboutmydecision

toretreatfromthestrict‗Chine‘approach,aftermyyoungerdaughterrebelledat

13.‖

InaninterviewwithJezebel,Chuaaddresswhyshebelievesthebookhashitsucha

chordwithparents:―Weparents,includingme,areallsoanxiousaboutwhetherwe're

'sthislatentanxiety.‖Ina

conversationwithDieZeit,Chuasaysaboutherbook:"Iwouldneverburnthestuffed

animalsofmychildren-thatwasahyperbole,ntensified

manysituationstoclarifymyposition."Sheaddsthatthebook"wastherapyformeat

thetimeofagreatdefeat."

ReactionbyChua’sdaughterSophia

OnJanuary17anopenletterfromChua‘solderdaughter,SophiaChua-Rubenfeld,to

‘sletterdefendsherparents‘

child-rearingmethodsandstatesthatsheandhersisterwerenotoppresdbyan―evil

mother‖.Shediscusssomeoftheincidentsthathavebeencriticizedasundulyharsh,

stheletter

saying,―IfIdiedtomorrow,IwoulddiefeelingI‘velivedmywholelifeat110

that,TigerMom,thankyou.‖

/wiki/Tiger_Mother#See_also