UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES,

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

FACULTY OF LINGUISTICS AND CULTURES OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING
COUNTRIES

ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET

COURSE NAME: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

INSTRUCTOR: VU THI HOANG MAI

STUDENT’S NAME: NGUYEN HUYEN TRANG

STUDENT ID: 22040666

ASSIGNMENT: FINAL ASSIGNMENT

DUE DATE: MAY 9TH, 2024

ESSAY TITLE ASIAN PARENTING

DECLARATION:
☐ I have read, understood and followed the guidelines for this assignment provided by the
teacher. I have read and I understand the criteria used for assessment
☐ I understand that if this assignment is submitted after the due date it may incur a penalty for
lateness unless I have had an extension of time approved by the teacher.
☐ I declare that the work contained in this assignment is my own and has not been previously
submitted in this course or any other courses.
☐ I have not copied in part, or in whole, or otherwise plagiarized the work of other students or
people; I have acknowledged all material and sources used in the preparation of this assignment.
I understand that should this declaration be found to be false, disciplinary action could be taken
and penalties imposed in accordance with University policy and rules.
☐ I understand that this assignment may undergo electronic detection for plagiarism, and a copy
of the assignment will be retained in a database and used to make comparisons with other
assignments.

Student’s Signature Date: 09/05/2024

I. MY INTRODUCTION

“ Kungfu Panda” is animated action-comedy film which has become a cultural

phenomenon across the globe. Telling about the journey of Panda’s self-discovery the viewers
could be inspired by his courage, dedication and emotion. However, beneath the dazzling kung
fu battles lies a deeper theme: Asian parenting. This is explored through the relationship
between Shifu, the strict master, and his former student, the villainous Tai Lung. And through
the relationship between Shifu and TaiLung, people would have in-depth understanding about
Asian parenting.

II. THE IMAGE OF ASIAN PARENTING IN THE POST

First of all, the portrayal of Asian parenting styles in the post is depicted as demanding,
with high expectations, and potentially stressful. For example, the author argues that Shifu's
harsh expectations might have contributed to Tai Lung's downfall. Shifu heavily invested in Tai
Lung with the expectation of becoming the Dragon Warrior, the most powerful warrior in the
world. However, when Tai Lung was not chosen, his disappointment and unfulfilled potential
led him desperate. Feeling rejected after not being chosen as the Dragon Warrior, Tai Lung
perceived Shifu as having abandoned him. Secondly, in the comment part, the viewer also
interprets that because not having achieved their dream previously, parents put pressure on their
child with the hope of fulfilling their dream. Haunted by his past, Shifu poured his unfulfilled
Dragon Warrior dream onto his student, believing they possessed the potential to become the
greatest warrior, a burden the young one might not have asked for. Shifu relentlessly drilled his
student, Tai Lung, in a rigorous and unforgiving training regimen, pushing him to constantly
exceed expectations. In some Oriental cultures, parents emphasize academic achievement,
hoping their children would achieve success and financial security that they themselves may not
have had.
III. ASIAN PARENTING IN MEDIA

The ritual view of media communication acts a vital role in reinforcing and refining
Asian parenting in popular culture across the globe. Jame Carey stated that a ritual definition,
communication is linked to terms such as sharing, participation, association, fellowship, and the
possession of a common faith. The belief could be extended and spread by the media, and Asian
parenting is a prime example. First of all, oriental parenting is spread by movies, shows and
books which depict Asian parents as tiger parents who are authoritarian and pushing their
children to excel academically at all costs. Tiger parenting is coined in a book called “ The
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother “ written by Amy Chu. Her book uses a humorous tone to
overemphasize her interaction between her and her daughter. During the book, a variety of
intense disagreements and moments of high pressure happened which sparked serious debate
between them. Tiger parenting is colloquially referred to intensive parenting - parents strictly
plan and closely scrutinize nearly every aspect of their children's lives ( Kobakhidze et al.,
2023). There are also numerous books to spread Asian parenting to the world such as Battle
Hymn of the Tiger Mother (book), or TV shows called Model Minority myth. Secondly, Asian
parents are also considered as the authoritarian parenting style which is high control, low
warmth, strict discipline and especially insensitive to child’s emotional needs (Baumrind, 1978).
The recent study conducted on 325 Chinese children having some specific findings. There is
more harsh affect to children by mother than by farther (Chang, L., et al, 2003). Nevertheless,
harsh parenting from farther had a stronger effect on child aggression. While there was no
gender difference in the impact of mothers' severe parenting, sons were also more negatively
impacted by their fathers' harsh parenting than daughters. Negative emotionality is highlighted
in the discussion of these findings as a possible common source of family disruptions, including
parenting and child adjustment issues (Chang, L., et al, 2003). Or according to studies, Asian
parents are be less inclined to offer their kids warmth and affection because they fear that doing
so may "spoil" the child or make them lose respect or fear their parents (Ara, 2022). Moreover,
they tend to highly expect on their children’s obedience, compliance to their demands with
irresponsibility of their child’s emotion (Rudy and Grusec, 2006). In Asian culture, it is
emphasized by this concept to respect, obey, and take care of one's parents. Asian parents think
that it is their moral obligation to uphold the family's honor through their offspring. Therefore,
they have great hopes for their kids' success ( Teacher, M.p, et al, 2023). Take a film called “
Fresh the boat “ as an example, Jessica (the mother) is portrayed as a demanding woman who
inherited her Taiwanese heritage to become a pushing mom, expect discipline and hardwork.
She always tries to push her sons and husband to be successful in an adverse way. Or in the book
called “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning” by Cathy Park Hong,

IV. MY VIEWPOINT ABOUT ASIAN PARENTING

 These prejudices are partially correct in the real situation. Firstly, Asian parents are
overemphasized to be described as harsh, overreactive, emotionally negative, coercive, and
controlling and authoritarian (Arnold, et al, 1997). They received an education geared toward
success, raised with high expectations by their parents. However, along with the development of
society, they became less demanding of their own children. They recognize that true success lies
in their children’s happiness, yet they still put pressure on their child, hoping they will be less
economically disadvantaged than themselves. Besides, Asian parents tried to interpret their
children’s emotions and thoughts. In the past, parents dismissed these feelings because their
children were just kids and they did not gain any deeper understanding so they need parents’
support. But parents are aware that kids, particularly teenagers, experience a wide range of
complex emotions. Because of their extreme sensitivity and fragility, the parents must determine
how to gently approach it. Children who receive supportive socialization from their parents may
be better able to control their negative emotional reactions and make greater adjustments as a
result. In contrast, children who experience prolonged negative emotions or maladaptive
behaviors (like aggression) in response to their parents' distressing or punitive responses to their
frustrations may be more likely to develop psychopathological symptoms (like internalizing and
externalizing symptoms) ( Zhuyun J, et al, 2017). For example, VTV produced a show called “
Cha mẹ thay đổi”. A couple of parent and child would be recorded about their daily life,
capturing their conversations and occasional disagreements. From that, the expert will be invited
to analyze the difficulty within their relationship. During that, parents openly share their own
obstacles, express their sorrow regarding their strained relationships with their children. At the
end of each episode, they would discover the underlying problem and address it .The main point
is that the parents are willing to care about the children’s emotions,thoughts, and obstacles.
Thirdly, modern Asian parents set less expectation on their children. They are well aware of how
difficult it was and how it affected their physical and mental well-being because they
experienced pressure as children. As a result, they want their own kids to be able to pursue their
dreams and be more at ease and content.

V. THE PROS AND CONS OF ASIAN PARENTING

Asian parents bring both benefits and drawbacks for both parents and children. For
benefits, children are raised in a disciplined environment so that they become smarter, more
hard-working and more successful in the academic field. Phillipson (2011) conducted a research
in 780 students from one primary school in Hong Kong and their parents. The results supported
the hypothesis that parents who communicate their academic expectations to their kids aid in
helping them develop cognitively. Parents would put their kids under pressure, make them study,
and talk about how they failed because they were not working hard enough. These items might
serve as motivation for kids to keep studying. Kim (2017) stated that despite including about 4
percent of the U.S. population, Asian-American students the proportion of Asian-American
students is significantly higher. The numbers are startling: 25% at Cornell, 18% at Harvard, and
25% at Stanford, Columbia, and Cornell. Compared to other racial or ethnic groups, Asian
Americans over 25 have the highest percentage of bachelor's and advanced degrees. Secondly,
due to being grown-up in a family-bond environment, Asian parents would inherit all family
values of which filial piety remains a central value. Filial piety is a social norm referring to the
virtue that children should honor, respect, care for their parents (Ha et al. 2016). The Chinese
Constitution states: “Parents have the duty to rear and educate their minor children, and children
who have come of age have the duty to support and assist their parents”. In Asian countries,
children are expected to honor their parents, participate in rituals that connect them to their
ancestors because they are family. Therefore, children would have a strong bond with their own
family, support and be responsible for it. For example, During the Yuan-Yu reign (1086–1094),
Huang T'ing-chien of the Sung Dynasty—also known as [Huang] Shan-gu—joined the Hanlin
academy. He was a highly respected and well-known individual, yet he gave his mother his
wholehearted attention. He would personally clean his mother's chamber pot every evening. He
never did a moment of his filial obligations go unfulfilled.

However, Asian parenting also leads to numerous drawbacks. First and foremost, some
Asian children may struggle with expressing their emotions due to emotional neglect during
childhood. Parents sometimes assume that their children are too young to experience complex
feelings, and they may be too occupied with other responsibilities to pay attention to their child’s
emotional needs. As a result, these children may feel abandoned and find it challenging to
express their emotions. Besides, this can create a sense of emotional distance between parents
and children, making it difficult for children to feel understood or supported. Children raised by
authoritarian parents are frequently shown to have more internalizing issues, low social skills,
and maladaptive development, whereas children raised by authoritative parents show greater
social skills and independence (Lam, L.T et al, 2016). Second, putting children in
overdisciplined environment could lead to severe consequences such as lower academic
performance, depression and even suicide. As a result, children experience stress, and if they fail
to meet their parents’ demands, they may face corporal punishment. Xu & Hu (2020) stated that
there are over 60% Chinese children aged 16-17 having less than eight hours of sleep per night.
In China in 2018, the rate of myopia among Chinese children increased to 53.6% due to
extended periods of sitting and studying. For instance, a male student leapt from a high building
because of academic pressure from school and parents. Before doing it, he wrote a death warrant
to their family which talked about his stressful life. After this case, there was a controversial
discussion about how stressful our society places on children these days.

VI. CONCLUSION.

People all throughout the world have the impression that Asian parents are severe,
insensitive, and disciplined. When their children do not get the chance to pursue their dreams,
parents are supposed to put a lot of pressure on them to do so. They greatly overestimated their
children, which had severe repercussions. But it also gives kids some positive benefits, including
achieving academic success or living in a structured environment. Therefore, it is vital to
balance the benefit and drawbacks of Asian parenting.
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