A Near-Religious Devotion to Education
Every now and then you read a point of view that you completely disagree with. I had just such an experience while reading the stance on parenting of a 2 nd generation Asian-American, Ryan Park. He had followed the stereotype course of most Asian children: “excelled in school”, went to a top college (Harvard Law School), and had a well-paying job (lawyer). But the stereotype “immigrant overachiever” says he doesn’t want to be a “tiger parent” to his daughters. Park has decided to become a heretic, to abandon the religion of his ancestors: “a near-religious devotion to education as the key to social mobility”. He doesn’t intend to follow the “traditional Asian parenting model” of “imposing pain now to reap meritocratic rewards later”, to churn out “academic gladiators”. Like I said, I absolutely do not subscribe to Park’s view on academics. In case you are feeling sorry for my daughter, let me refresh your memory on what kids do to their parents via some Game of Throne...