<p>The message I got was that this is a bragging, unpleasant “mother” who uses racist messages against Westerners.</p>
<p>lateparty - I really don’t think Amy Chua has done anything “against” western civilization other than complain about its modern American manifestations. She has done a lot of damage to Asian American children who have fought an uphill battle for equal acceptance based on merit into the best American schools and programs. She has validated the stereotype of parentally programmed little robots which leads adcoms to view them with suspicion. Asian kids are under pressure to do more to get less - not from their parents but from the burden of this stereotype.</p>
<p>Incidentally, Amy is a Westerner, born and raised in Illinois and educated at Harvard. Her parents immigrated before she was born.</p>
<p>
I wonder if parents of Greek heritage ever decide to raise their kids according to Spartan methods.</p>
<p>I have a variety of comments to make based on Ms. Chua’s provocative titles, statements, practices which SHE claims make her a “Tiger Mother” (which title certainly comes across as a brag to me) Maybe it strikes others as a mild or friendly title?</p>
<p>America has the most merit-based university admissions and accepts the widest diversity of immigrants, so it is difficult for me to see how Asian or Asian-American children are having an uphill battle to be accepted merit-wise. </p>
<p>BTW, there are a wide variety of “American” parenting practices, so that ought not to be lumped in one statement. But SHE chose to specify her ethnicity, she makes it crystal clear
she is Chinese.</p>
<p>I am half of a distinctive ethnicity, yet I don’t constantly remark on it or try to demean others based on it.</p>
<p>I guess it comes to mind that I have never “used” my ethnicity (yes, I do look distinctive)
which is rare where I happen to currently live or the fact that my mother spoke a language other than English initially (though born in US, did move rather promptly to another country for a few yrs). We never capitalized on any of this. We assimilated and appreciated America in all its diversity and univerality. There is a way to honor one’s family background without demanding special recognition, advantages or claiming exclusive superiority.</p>