Tiger Mother

In 2011, Amy Chua published a book titled Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. The book depicts the strict upbringing and endless regime the mother places on her children in order for them to succeed. From this book came the term "Tiger Mom", which students of Chinese descent often refer to their own mothers as. This piece played a stark contrast to the piece "Arm Wrestling with My Father" by Brad Manning, in which the father is the physical image that motivates his son to do well. This contrast is underscored by cultural differences. In Chinese culture, it is universal that the mother motivates the child to succeed in school to the extent that the child often contemplates running away or suicide (I wish that this was a joke. In 2011 out of 20 million students in China, 40 have committed suicide. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/chinese-students-suicide-waiver_n_3948310.html). I too have felt the incessant roaring from my tiger mother to succeed in school. I find it extremely interesting how different cultures rely on different parents to raise and get the most out of their children. One possible origin of this cultural differences could be the fact that in Ancient China, women did play prominent roles within the family fabric, unlike the marginalization of woman's rights within American history. Whatever the reason for this cultural lag is, I personally appreciate my mother's compassion for my own success, even if it may get annoying at times and release an unhealthy amount of adrenocortiotropic hormone from my adrenal glands at times. But in the end, I do well in school, she's happy for my success, and I'm happy for my own success.