'Chinese moms' strives to build new images

With summer vacation just around the corner, many "Chinese moms" are ready to fly to the United States, Canada, France, and some other countries to see their children studying there. Local mothers of Chinese descent are also ready to send their children to various training classes, in hopes that they will be admitted to Harvard, Yale, or other prestigious universities.

The reporter has recently contacted many "Chinese moms," and heard a lot of stories about "Chinese moms." They should learn some lessons from these stories, and play the role of new “Chinese moms” well.

"Chinese moms" face mixed judgment

The appellation, “Chinese mom,” started out as a derogatory term in U.S. high schools in 2009, especially in schools with many Chinese students. The term is used to refer to Chinese mothers who act like hens protecting their chicks, and has quickly become a satirical appellation among U.S. high school students, which is disturbing to many students of Chinese descent.

Later, the term spread to Chinese students studying in the United States. Every time the students from other countries learn “Chinese moms” are coming, they wink at Chinese students and make faces at each other.

“Chinese moms” who go aboard occasionally to see their children like to live and eat together with their children and some of them even ask their children to choose a major they do not like. Overprotective Chinese mothers are always beyond the understanding of their American counterparts.

A Chinese "tiger mother" who hit the spotlight in 2011 with the release of her book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, further intensified the controversy over "Chinese moms." Despite a fruitful result, the exceedingly strict method of parenting by the “tiger mother” has received much criticism abroad.

Experts believe that the use of "Chinese mom" as a derogatory term in the United States should not be interpreted as demonization of Chinese mothers, and should be taken as a wake-up call to overprotective Chinese mothers.