Asian mothers, bad feelings: notes on an all-conquering stereotype

A certain image of the tiger mom – strict, cold and demanding – is ubiquitous in popular culture. Why? In January 2011, the English-speaking world was introduced to a new kind of villain. She arrived in the form of a viral Wall Street Journal article with the headline “Why Chinese mothers are superior”. The author, a relatively unknown Yale law professor named Amy Chua, outlined her strict rules for her two daughters: no sleepovers, playdates or school plays – and no complaining about not bei...

By Rebecca Liu