Education

Tiger Mom Vindicated! Daughter Gets Into Harvard, Proving Chinese Mothers Are…Superior?

Via Business Insider:

Amy Chua, the Yale law professor who enraged parents and morning show viewers everywhere when she published her parenting book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, must be feeling somewhat vindicated today.

Chua’s eldest daughter was just accepted to Harvard.

Chua, better known as Tiger Mom, made headlines earlier this year for preaching the benefits of ultra strict parenting practices — rooted in her own Chinese upbringing.

The WSJ article that accompanied the release of her book was called “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” and preached a childhood free of video games, playdates, and TV and listed all the ways in which Western parents are failures.

Some readers went so far as to call her abusive.

You can read Chua’s provocative WSJ article, “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior,” here.

Tiger Mom Vindicated! Daughter Gets Into Harvard, Proving Chinese Mothers Are...Superior?

Chua’s militant parenting style has been met with a great deal of harsh criticism. But Above the Law observes that you can’t argue with success:

You can criticize all you want, but you can’t argue with success. Above the Law has confirmed that Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld, the oldest daughter of Amy Chua and fellow YLS [Yale Law School] professor Jed Rubenfeld, received her Harvard acceptance earlier this week. Sophia has already made up her mind that Harvard is where she’ll attend college. (Can you blame her for wanting to trade New Haven for Cambridge?)

Harvard is a pretty selective school, no doubt, but Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld is one hot applicant:

She’s not only beautiful and brilliant — in Amy Chua’s memoir, she alludes to her daughter’s academic prowess — but she’s also extremely talented. As we all know by now, Sophia made her Carnegie Hall piano debut at the tender age of 14. That’s extremely impressive, even by Harvard standards.

Tiger Mom Vindicated! Daughter Gets Into Harvard, Proving Chinese Mothers Are...Superior?

Sophia’s also a superb writer. The defense of her mother that she wrote for the New York Post is impressive — smart yet conversational, as well as thoughtful and funny. But Sophia’s essay about her Carnegie Hall performance, excerpted in Tiger Mother, puts the Post piece to shame. It possesses eloquence and elegance not often found in the writing of people twice or three times Sophia’s age.

Finally, Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld had one other significant factor in her favor with respect to Harvard: legacy status, as the daughter of two Harvard-educated parents. Amy Chua graduated from Harvard College in 1984 and Harvard Law School in 1987, and Jed Rubenfeld graduated from Harvard Law School in 1986. (He went to Princeton for undergrad.)

Here’s the brilliant family:

Tiger Mom Vindicated! Daughter Gets Into Harvard, Proving Chinese Mothers Are...Superior?

Comments (141)

  • doublezero12
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:50am

    Tiger Mom made me into a raging alcoholic. What’s so effing great about them. The destroy more lives than they make wunderkinds. I think they’re evil. I wish my liver on them!

    Report Post » doublezero12  
  • JERRIO
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:24am

    I’m sure all of the recent publicity and the mother who is a YALE law school prof. had nothing to do with it. I’m just saying.

    Report Post »  
    • Clive
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 3:55pm

      her kid was a genius, perfect grades, and she played at Carnegie hall when she was 14. i’m pretty sure she is uniquely qualified. But cheers to your sour grapes.

      Report Post »  
    • CobiusMaximus
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 9:03pm

      Not sour grapes. When the admissions people spoke to us during the first week at my Ivy League school, they said that they chose people in this order:
      legacies
      athletes
      geniuses/very talented
      everybody else
      Being a tiger mom had nothing to do with her daughter getting into Harvard. The daughter was accepted before she was even born.

      Report Post »  
  • Patriotic_Mercenary
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:10am

    My wife and I are very into our kids’ education (K & 2nd). Prior to their coming back stateside, they were in a private school. They constantly had homework that would require them to give up some of their weekend. Since moving back, there is not nearly as much. They were behind a bit because they’d been practicing in Spanish, rather than English, though the latter is their primary.

    Frustrated with the lack of education we saw our children getting….or not….we began giving them homework. Since then, our 2nd grader has surpassed all of her classmates. Our K is blooming…already writing her first name in cursive.

    So, parents, if you want your kids to excel, go online and look up some of that homeschooling stuff and challenge your kids. We intend to have our kids graduated no later than what would be the end of their Sophmore year….earlier if feasible.

    Report Post » Patriotic_Mercenary  
    • jharper
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:16pm

      Good for you! Now that is parenting!!! You are actually taking responsibility for your children’s education.

      Report Post »  
  • theBigToe
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:38am

    I keep hearing about this Tiger mom, well what about the Dad? He isn’t Asian, he’s Jewish as near as I can tell (Jed Rubenfeld), didn’t he contribute something? I’m more angry at the way fathers contributions to the upbringing and success of their children are completely dismissed. And of course with two legacy parents Sophia had a huge advantage before she even applied.

    I had neighbors who were Chinese-Americans and though a wonderful family, the kids weren’t THAT bright. The youngest was going to drive back to college one day in the winter after Christmas break and she asked me to help her put oil in her car (no one was home when she was leaving). She was about to put a quart of oil into her radiator and drive in a snow storm from Long Island to Boston. After I showed her the right place to put the oil we were chatting a bit and I asked her where she was going to school in Boston. “M.I.T.“ she said ”I’m majoring in engineering”. So just because you can get a perfect SAT score doesn’t mean know were to add oil to your car…sheesh.

    Report Post » theBigToe  
  • SCARY
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:24am

    I got my GED when I was 16…I was pretty advanced.

    Then I got that job at burger king where I got fired for bringing food home instead of to the dumpsterlike I was sposed to ….

    Report Post »  
    • jharper
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:08pm

      I know you are quite “advanced” but you spelled SUPPOSE incorrectly. Just saying.

      Report Post »  
  • Nemo13
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:23am

    Study, study, study, go to school, go to college, get a job, have kids, die. The cookie-cutter life to me is unattractive. Also, what is the real need for college? Your career you may or may not use your education. With the advent of the internet, where you have access to most anything, college seems obsolete. What book or knowledge do you not have access to? Most jobs can be done just as well through apprenticeship. You have to learn the ropes anyway. It is just there to make you pay. If they are going to fleece you, why not just give the option to take the tests right away for your golden little diploma instead of waiting around for 4 years of fluff to get it? It’s all just a money grab. Most people only retain their education just long enough to get through, then they revert back. Harvard is just designer jeans, you pay more for the status. Who cares.

    Report Post »  
  • green_manalishi
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:02am

    Who is the white guy in the picture and why is he relevant to the story, is he trying to steal the Asian ladies Tigermomitude. Typical inferior non diverse person.

    Report Post »  
  • Slayer
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:57am

    I understand the whole ‘it’s hard to get into Harvard‘ thing but I have to go out on a limb here and guess that a lot of people are going to agree with me that I wouldn’t be too happy sending my kid to an Ivy League school today. They’re hotbeds of the most Radical Leftist agenda the world has ever seen. Many of the people running our country are Ivy League grads and… well just look at how far we’ve fallen.

    Report Post » Slayer  
  • green_manalishi
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:55am

    Hardwork and self accomplishment are code words for racism and teaparty, everybody knows that.Tigermom is a codeword for “target president Obama who is historic black incompetent” Ask Malik Shaby Zulu Shabazzz

    Report Post »  
  • RockstarRepublic
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:45am

    At the cost of what? A good childhood? I think there needs to be balance between the two, play for example is a form of learning. Video games have the opacity to teach more so than any other form of media and shouldnt be demonized in its entirety. I do agree though that more americans could learn from the asian upbringing and education.

    Report Post » RockstarRepublic  
  • matinva
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:32am

    She will be who she will be. Her mother did the right thing by keeping her from influences to either extreme. Her common sense will direct her…if she has any.

    Report Post » matinva  
  • fedlibertarian
    Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:29am

    What would be actually commendable is if she joined the military. Who gives a crap about another elitist going to ivy?

    Report Post » fedlibertarian  
    • jharper
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:04pm

      But the military has our military women in the middle east giving up their helmets and replacing therm with an Islamic scarf. I wouldn‘t let my daughter be a part of a military that deliberatly put her in harm’s way while fretting about making sure that gays are protected.

      Report Post »  
  • jim
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:59pm

    You give your kid the knuckle shots and belt messages every day, they’ll end up like either Mozart or Josef Mengele… both would’ve gotten into Harvard. It‘s a roll a’ the dice.

    Report Post » jim  
  • ThoreauHD
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:48pm

    Asian white hybrids are hot. Hotter than the hottest hotness.. What is this article about?

    Report Post » ThoreauHD  
  • peteto1
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:40pm

    The odds of a straight “A”, asian, female, musically gifted, daughter of a Yale law school professor NOT getting into Harvard is 1,000,000,000,000,000 to 1 !!……………………….

    Report Post »  
  • Its Gonna Getcha
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:38pm

    Nothing is more annoying than someone trying to teach an infant to worry about something that won’t be significant until they are 10 years old.

    Report Post » Its Gonna Getcha  
  • Rosemary Woodhouse
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:33pm

    jzs
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:59pm

    A little bit of sarcasm there in the lead. No one is biting so far and hope they don’t. I believe it’s a fact that Asians perform disproptionately well in American schools. Something to think about.

    ==========================================================================

    I completely agree. This isn’t addressing Chinese politics vs. American politics. It’s cultural. America also used to encourage high achievement, allowed parents to *parent“ and used to encourage the non achievers to achieve rather than culturally drag us all down to the lowest common denominator in the name of ”fairness”!

    Report Post »  
    • sWampy
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 10:35am

      Used to encourage parents to parent, now all the liberal programs the government has created encourage parents to not even be in their kids lives.

      Report Post »  
  • TheWatcher
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:31pm

    People who are willing to establish standards for their children are a blessing to this nation. We can not let our children raise themselves or let their culture set their values.
    =========================
    Buck
    http://www.***************
    Heirloom Seeds, “How God plants His garden.”

    Report Post » TheWatcher  
  • MatthewChapter24
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:10pm

    It all depends on how you define success.

    For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?–Mark 8:36

    Report Post »  
    • Melanie
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:26pm

      That’s what I was thinking. There’s more to success than admittance to Harvard, or the rest of this young lady’s long list of accomplishments. :-)

      Report Post »  
    • Love glenn protect glenn
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:28am

      When kids have been too sheltered, they are ill prepared for the real world. Some are even not ready to leave home, for college, especially the kind of kids whose parents have been dictating their every move.

      Report Post »  
    • CobiusMaximus
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:49pm

      Something the tiger mom did not teach her child well enough: in this world, who you know is more important that what you know. It does not matter if you are a genius; people will not work with you if you lack interpersonal skills. Such skills cannot be learned in books. Only experience

      Report Post »  
  • CaptainSpaulding
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:57pm

    Wow!

    You mean a rich, privileged kid with a well connected family got into an Ivy League school?

    That’s just shocking.

    /sarc

    I’d be much more impressed if this was a middle class white male from the midwest with a family that has no connections.

    Report Post »  
    • poverty.sucks
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:17pm

      Obama’s race to the top, hope he doesn’t try to get credit for Lady Sophia.

      Report Post » poverty.sucks  
    • fedlibertarian
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:51pm

      BINGO. Notice they didn’t list her grades and academic accomplishments… A ton of kids play at Carnegie, write articles, and/or have perfect grades. I’ve met some serious duds from ivy league, who likely got in through being able to pay full price or a large donation. Means nothing. Ivy leagers ruined this country; still ruining it.

      Report Post » fedlibertarian  
    • CaptainSpaulding
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:10am

      We’ve got a bunch of privileged Ivy Leaguers running this country right now….

      Report Post »  
    • BecksADweeb
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:47pm

      There are lots of them at all the great American Universities and Colleges. You’re just not one of them.

      Report Post »  
  • BlazingBlonde
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:55pm

    I respect this lady so much. In fact, when i heard of her, it came to mind that we should start giving out mom awards called “the Tiger Mom/ Sarah Connor Award” to those moms who are raising their kids to survive with grace and expect excellence from their kids. Its an amazing concept and most of the parents I see today are rasing a bunch of whining basement dwellers. Its beyond sad.

    Report Post » BlazingBlonde  
    • celestialfire
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:42am

      Asian values are all about loyalty, respect and honor to elders, family, teachers, business associates, friends and yourself. Education and betterment is expected. Congratulations to Tiger Mom for raising a balanced and beautiful family.

      Report Post »  
    • 5kidsnadog
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 9:34am

      Did you read the book? I don’t know about you, but their lives sound like a living hell that they all got used to. The academic success of her children is undeniable, but the screaming, crying, and yelling in the house does not sound like something ANYONE should have to live through.

      Report Post »  
  • sleazyhippo
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:47pm

    Totally unremarkable story (smile) – but, watch the Blaze turn this into a 500 comment item! Probably to include the “inferiority” of one or more races…and the Taxed Enough Already party will not support Asian causes….(Grin)

    Report Post » MONICNE  
    • BetterDays
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:49pm

      Why I outa………oh never mind…lol
      My money’s on you hipp!

      Report Post »  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:46am

      Only 499 comments before you chimed in Hippo, thanks.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
  • Conserving Ink
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:45pm

    I find the Tiger Mom’s success impressive but I want my kids to have a childhood too. I think there must be a happy medium between the two.

    Report Post » Conserving Ink  
    • mill
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:25pm

      Americans do not seem to be hiting a happy medium…
      it‘s teachers fault johnny can’t read or anything else constructive. that is why the USA is so far down the list on grades etc.

      we need to realize that it takes more than soccer, feel good teaching, latch key kids (voluntary because mom wants that new car, not the mom has to work to survive)

      parents and teachers need to be held to higher standards. The tiger mom is rigid, and i could never do it. But there has to be a middle ground..we as a nation have youth that is falling waaaaaaaaaaaay behind.

      Report Post »  
    • Nobamazone
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:42am

      I totally agree, there has to be a middle ground.
      The test of the tiger moms success is not that her daughter got into a “good” school, the real test comes when the girl becomes a wife and mother herself.

      Report Post » Nobamazone  
    • 5kidsnadog
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 9:31am

      Exactly. We just read her book in our book club and I was struck by a couple of things:
      1) Her children did seem to achieve a high level of success in multiple areas.
      2) The success of the tiger mother’s methods came at the cost of childhood freedom.
      3) The cycle of pushing the child to succeed followed by an adulthood of pushing the next generation to succeed led to a lifetime without a lot of pleasure.

      I think there has to be a happy medium here somewhere.
      That said, I just volunteered in my youngest son’s first grade classroom about a week ago for math games. I brought small groups of children into another room for fifteen minutes of games. In one group, two of the children both commented that they are both of Chinese heritage. During the game, the one Chinese boy (David) turned to the Chinese girl (Emily) next to him and said “What’s 6*1″? She turned to him and laughed and said “SIX”. The first graders often use easy examples like this, so I joined in and said “What’s 256*2″?. Little Emily promptly started figuring the answer out in the air in front of her. As I watched her carried the 1, I realized she really DID know multiplication, and she gave me the correct answer. Not to be outdone, David asked for a problem, which he also answered correctly. All this, as the rest of the group was struggling to add the values on two dice without counting the spots. I asked David and Emily how they knew how to do multiplication, and David told me that he does pages and pages of rote math every day after school, and that, furthermore, multiplication was what he did in kindergarten and he was on to bigger things now.

      All I can say is that they must be soooooooo bored in first grade.

      Report Post »  
    • Kinnison
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:27pm

      I taught high school AP U.S. History in a small university town. My class was self-selecting and the demands for homework and writing under pressure were difficult. I had a good number of Asian-American students, most of them female, and they were without exception at the top of their respective classes. Nor were they academic grinds, although they always got their homework done; they were well-liked, had social lives, and participated in extracurricular activities. They also, almost without exception, got admitted to top-of-the-line universities like Stanford, the University of Chicago, Penn and Yale. They were bright, organized, cheerful, and they worked very hard.

      Report Post »  
  • 9thCommandment
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:40pm

    Now if there Kid can just get brainwashed into Harvard thinking we will have another H. Clinton, except better looking.

    Report Post »  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:50pm

      Here’s hoping Sophia knows the difference between a blowhard socialist professor and a common sense smart professor, and has the grace and knowledge to put the blowhard in his place AND that the socialists won’t get their crusty hooks into her.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • Dale
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:59pm

      There are conservatives at Harvard, some even populate the faculty. Before you jump all over me, I know there numbers are small.

      Report Post » Dale  
    • CowboyExpat
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 5:40am

      Any story about children of Harvard grads getting accepted to Harvard is a non-starter. Congrats on your acceptance…can you imagine the HELL you‘d be put through if you didn’t make it? Now that would be a story.

      Report Post » CowboyExpat  
    • Principlex
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 9:25am

      Frankly, I think getting into Harvard is the booby prize. I think of it more a prize for social climbers, not great thinkers or those that would work to be great thinkers.

      Report Post »  
  • redneck
    Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:39pm

    I’d lilke to read her thoughts on NASCAR

    Report Post » redneck  
    • Robert-CA
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:49pm

      NASCAR people are Patriots .

      Report Post » Robert-CA  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:49pm

      I guess if you believe Harvard is the brass ring, hurrah for you. Personally, I think there are other schools that equal the education but don’t shove a liberal agenda down your throat. Best of luck.

      Report Post »  
    • sleazyhippo
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:50pm

      Hey NASCAR now sponsors PEI WEI bistro – trolls the blaze run at 329 miles per hour! (sweet)

      Report Post » MONICNE  
    • banjarmon
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:51pm

      Tiger mom needs to teach teachers how to teach.

      Report Post » banjarmon  
    • jzs
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:59pm

      A little bit of sarcasm there in the lead. No one is biting so far and hope they don’t. I believe it’s a fact that Asians perform disproptionately well in American schools. Something to think about.

      Report Post » jzs  
    • restorehope
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:09pm

      Having parents who are alumni sure didn’t hurt her chances for getting in. Besides, it would have been just darn un-PC if Haaaavard didn’t welcome her with open arms. You don’t say no to minorities when everyone is watching you….including one particular alumn (at least he says he is but won’t prove it).

      Report Post »  
    • sooner12
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:10pm

      BANJARMON……Do you have to have a teaching cert. at HAAAVAD to teach there. I think the only qualification you must have is to be a Leftist.

      Report Post »  
    • cheezwhiz
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:17pm

      Even Barack Hussain Barry Sotero Dunham Obama could get into Harvard.
      Big deal .

      Report Post » cheezwhiz  
    • GONESURFING
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:43pm

      I like the Chinese moms style. Bet there were no time outs in her house. As for teaching, she could show our teachers a thing or two for sure. The PC crowd hates her, so she must be great.

      Report Post » GONESURFING  
    • marhee9
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 11:44pm

      Nascar rocks, i‘d bet she’s not a fan though. This is one tough lady, I can’t imagine there is much fun in her house. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=619wI12Ky20

      Report Post »  
    • home_of_the_brave
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:03am

      Hmm… any relation to tiger blood?

      Report Post »  
    • OHTAY
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 3:05am

      I wouldn’t get too excited about her daughter getting into Harvard. Most schools, Ivy League ones especially allow lower standards for Alum’s children. Basically, they only need a C average to get into an Ivy League school if they have parents who also went to that school..or have connections, other Alum who write a nice recommendation. George Bush Jr, got into Yale that way and many other so called intelligent people. And to make matters worse…you can’t fail once you get in these schools..they let you re-take the classes over to get a better grade. I could go on about how unfair this stuff is..but I know no one will read this…

      Report Post » OHTAY  
    • Mannax
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:33am

      @JZS
      Posted on April 1, 2011 at 10:59pm
      A little bit of sarcasm there in the lead. No one is biting so far and hope they don’t. I believe it’s a fact that Asians perform disproptionately well in American schools. Something to think about.

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      I think that this is the first time I have ever agreed with something you posted.

      Report Post »  
    • avenger
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:21am

      I would like to read her thoughts up close and personal….

      Report Post »  
    • G.W. Dobbs
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 8:47am

      This young lady is obviously qualified and deserving; but how many females and minorities are admitted to Liberal Indoctrinating Ivy League Schools in order to meet QUOTAS?

      Too, these are are MOTHERS of tomorrow. “Raise up a child in the Way he is to go and he will not depart from it” (paraphraed from the Bible). Little wonder our Nation has become to quaigmire it now is; the LIBERALS were successful. Where are the Conservative, God Loving Schools? They USED to be the
      Ivy League Schools until taken over by the Liberal Atheists and God Expelled.

      Report Post »  
    • sWampy
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 10:32am

      Our president with his 87 iq got into Harvard, big deal.

      Report Post »  
    • Anti_Spock
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 11:45am

      Good for her. This only proves Tiger Moms teach their kids how to be a better Tiger. Whereas liberal moms either abort their kids or protests for better prison conditions.

      Report Post » Anti_Spock  
    • ManThong
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:18pm

      Nice story but I wouldn’t trade a pile of warm dog poop for Harvard.

      When I look at a Federal Reserve Note, I think this what Harvard education and the like has produced.

      This perspective will be more appreciated in the not too distant future.

      Report Post » ManThong  
    • taskmaster78
      Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:00pm

      This seems like the usual excrement coming out of Glenn’s site, this has been what I’m expecting from the “news” he’d post. This is no better news then the NJ women losing their jobs for not “being sexy” enough or even the “Christian Poll” dancer. This is about what an “elite” family who are what? Surprised she was accepted at Harvard. Give me a break, this like many posted stories taken from Fox, CBN, Before it‘s New’s, are just what I see a waist of man power. Glenn should wake up and do as he said, “remove those things ‘they’ can get you on” this site is becoming a degree of light sexual porn for the mind. Sell it to someone who needs a quick thrill. Stay with what is going on with the total destruction of this nation. Thousands of stories each day are published that most readers never are exposed too. Stay with what is important not this waist.

      Report Post »  

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