Throughout junior year and this year, we have all discussed the tedious work, strictness, and stress put on us by AP English. We work so hard and stress out because we know Ms. Serensky requires the best work from us, all the time. However, imagine having Ms. Seresnky and AP English's pressure in every aspect of your life. Imagine her in every other class, in your extracurricular activities, even at home (it sounds creepy, but go with it). This idea came to me when I came home from work yesterday and was bombarded by my mom who shoved into my hands the Wall Street Journal article, "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior." The article basically describes why Chinese kids are always stereotypically successful kids. Just the other day, Jimmy Boldt blogged about the multiple Asians he met through facebook that were also going to the very elite school of Dartmouth. Well, the article is written by Amy Chua, a Chinese Yale professor and mother of two. Dare I say this article makes Ms. Seresnky look like a weak softy? You tell me. The article begins with a list of what her children were never allowed to do: attend a sleepover (my mom has the same rule... nothing good can happen after 12!), have a playdate, be in a school play, watch TV or play computer games, choose their own extracurricular activities, get any grade less than an A, not be the number one student in every subject besides drama and gym, play any instrument other than the piano or violin. For one, I do not think Ms. Serensky demands and forces all of us to get A's, or forbids us from doing other activities besides English. Chua also says that Chinese parents are very direct. They do not "tiptoe around the issue" like other parents. They use the example that Chinese mothers can say to their daughters, "'Hey fatty- lose some weight,'" while other parents will indirectly tell their child and talk in terms of health, and never even mention the word fat. I do not know about you, but I have never heard Ms. Serensky say to someone, "You know what? You suck at English! Get it together!" Also, Chua goes into more depth about how she demands her children to get A's. She claims that "Chinese parents can say to their children, "You're lazy. All of your classmates are getting ahead of you," while Western parents only ask their children to do their best. Chua states what would happen if a Chinese child received anything lower than an A, "If a Chinese child gets a B - which would never happen- there would first be a screaming, hair-tearing explosion. The devastated Chinese mother would then get dozens, maybe hundreds of practice tests and work through them with her child for as long as it takes to get the grade up to an A." Another major difference is that "Chinese parents believe that their kids owe them everything." Therefore, the Chinese children must spend their lives repaying their parents by obeying them and making them proud. I do not believe that Ms. Seresnky thinks we owe our entire success to her (maybe I'm wrong, who knows, maybe she actually does). In addition, Chinese parents know what is best for their children and override all of their children's own desires and preferences. Chua then goes on to explain how she made her seven year old daughter, Lulu, to play a song on the piano perfectly for her lesson the next day, even though Lulu was determined she could not and did not want to do it. Chua threatened Lulu with donating her dollhouse to Salvation Army, no lunch, no dinner, no Christmas or Hanukkah presents, no birthday parties for up to four years. She sat and worked at the piano with Lulu all night, forbidding her to get water or go to the bathroom. But, by the end of that night, Lulu was able to play the piece. In English class, I am fairly confident we can go to the bathroom and drink water when we wish to (maybe because if Ms. Serensky forbade us, she would get into trouble with the administration). Furthermore, Chua says that as a Chinese mother, she does not care about her child's self esteem, like other parents. Letting a child give up means that as a parent, they too have given up on the child, which is even more detrimental than telling a child that they are lazy and worthless. In my opinion, this article makes Ms. Serensky seem like a lenient teacher compared to Chua, the over powering mother; I would take Ms. Serensky over Chua any day. Obviously, not all Chinese students are perfectionists- Example A: myself. I have recieved B's on tests before and my mother does not tell me I am garbage- at least not very often. And, this does not mean non-Chinese students cannot be successful and perfect students- Example B: Thomas Donley. I do not even need to explain this one. Or... maybe Thomas is secretly raised by a Chinese mother? Nahh, that is a bit too outrageous. Well you tell me, do you have a different perspective on Ms. Serensky and AP English now? Who would win in a battle- Ms. Serensky or Amy Chua?
PS- If you want to read the whole article, here is the website. Just do not share it with your parents and give them any ideas. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html
