reading response #4

The Triple Package by Amy Chua—4/19/2014(58 pages read)

 

I have been reading about the second item of the triple package, “insecurity”, in all of America’s most successful groups, people tend to feel insecure, inadequate, and have the need to prove themselves. Mormons have a tradition of being persecuted for their beliefs. During the restoration of the Church Mormons were attack by mobs and driven out of their homes. Mormons were not welcome or trusted in America society. They had to prove themselves by working hard and smart to be included in main stream society.

Similarly, the first Cuban immigrants, who arrived at the shores of the United States of America, were not liked because of the great numbers, their poverty and because they didn’t speak English. They were professionals and elites forced by Fidel Castro to abandon their property, businesses, social status, and political connections.  Many of them were used to living in mansions and having servants. Some of them were doctors, engineers, and because they didn’t speak English; they had to take jobs that didn’t require an education, such dishwasher, house cleaning, janitor and yard keeping. This loss of status cause great insecurity in the Cuban immigrants which push them into hard work and more risk taking, and as a result of these they went from poverty to great prosperity in one generation.

More recently, after the terrorist attack of 9/11, there was an anti-Arab Muslim hostility so Iranians choose to be identified as Persians rather than Arab Muslims, tying themselves to the ancient great power of Persia instead of the terrorist extreme Muslims.  Iranians also try to prove themselves to be civilized so maybe that it one reason why they hold more masters and doctorate degrees than any other group in America.

reading response #3

The Triple Package by Amy Chua—4/30/2014(64 pages read)

I have been reading about the third part of the triple package which is Impulse Control. Amy Chua defines Impulse control as the ability to resist temptation, especially the temptation to give up in the face of hardship or temptation to quit a difficult task.

America today spreads a message of immediate gratification, living for the moment.  For example many people chose fast food instead of taking the time to buy and cook food; some people chose to buy thing on credit instead of taking the time to save money and pay for items with cash; many chose to have party and have fun instead of studying and working for a better future. But the most successful groups in America cultivate heightened discipline and impulse control. For example Asians and Asian-Americans make up more than 50% of the students at America’s prestigious Juilliard School of Music, and 19% at Harvard, Princeton and Yale University’s. Amy Chua believes this is because the way Asians and Asian American are raise. The parents of these students are stricter about homework time, musical instrument practice time and in general study time.  These students are expected spend many more hours of homework and study than other American students and they do. Their parents also limit the time student spend having fun. There is no such thing as hanging out with friends. They also limit computer games time and other personal entertainments. Some families don’t even own televisions.

 “Dr. and Novelist Khaled Hosseini once was asked What are the Qualities to get through Medical school? Discipline.  Patience.  Perseverance. A wiliness to forgo sleep… the Ability to weather crises of faith and self-confidence.  Accept exhaustion as a fact of life. Asked about the qualities required to be a novelist, he said Ditto.”

The message of this book seems to be that America is still the land of opportunity, and if we are willing to work hard because we want to prove ourselves superior and have a strong self-control or because any other reason we will be rewarded with success

Reading Post #2

The Triple Package by Amy Chua—4/12/2014(50 pages read)

I have been reading about what the triple package is and why the most successful people have this triple package.    According to the Amy Chua the author of this book, people are not successful because of their race, religion or nationality. The secret of their success is the way they are raise, how they feel about themselves, their experiences growing up and their ability to self-control.  In American we are taught that everyone is equal, that no group is superior to another. But according to Amy Chua, America’s most successful groups believe, even if they don’t say so aloud, that they’re exceptional, chosen, and superior in some way. For example the Jews grow up with the belief that they are the “chosen people”, a feeling their faith instils in them.  Mormons also grow up believing something similar.  Iranians have a superiority complex because they are descendants from Persians, one of the most successful empires in history.  Asians and Asian-Americans also come from one of the oldest and most successful empires. Others successful groups have a superiority complex which in the author defined as “a deeply internalize belief in that group’s specialness, exceptionality, or superiority”.  This superiority complex could also come from having already been successful. An example of this was the first Cuban immigrants who were professionals and elites who were forced to abandon their property, business, social status and political connection to save their lives and come to a Miami in America.  The superiority complex seem to be an internalize idea of having to live up to a higher standard than anyone else,

Reading response #1

The Triple Package by Amy Chua—4/1/2014(50 pages read)

Today I read about how some groups in America do better than others in areas of academics test scores, business and income. According to this book, the reason why some people do better in those areas is because they all have a something in common; the author calls this the triple package. The triple package is a set of three characteristics a superiority complex, insecurity, and impulse control. Groups with the triple package are making more money, getting the best scores on college placement test and are being admitted to the top music schools; they are getting top management jobs and are creating and growing businesses.

According to this book, it is not race, ethnicity or social status that determines success; people are not born with intelligence to achieve success. It is a culture that includes the triple package that can almost guarantee success in America. America was built by people who had the triple package. They had the superiority complex so they wanted freedom and rights. They had insecurities for being outcasts form other countries. And they had impulse control because of their religious believes.   

 Some people claim that upward mobility in America is dead, that is that kids cannot expect to be better financially than their parents. But group that have the triple package are still moving up, and doing better than their parents in business, politics and finances. Such immigrants and children of immigrants have more successful startup business.  Mormons have been recently being notice for taking top management position in business and in politics; they are wealthier than other religious groups. Cubans escape their country leaving all their property behind, arriving to Miami unable to speak English and in one generation they went from poverty to prosperity.  Jews have higher income than any other group of people.  I didn’t notice before how some groups of people do better than other but this book has a lot demographic and statistical data to support their claims.

Page 8-The Hero has won the Freedom to Live

Odysseus goes back to Ithaca. Athena disguises him as an old beggar so that he can see who is still loyal. He and his son take all the armor and they fight all the suitors. They win the fight and take back Ithaca. He proves that he is the real Odysseus because he know about the bed tree.

Page 7-The Hero Crosses the Return Threshold

When Odysseus returns to Ithaca it is a very troubling scene. His wife is losing hope that he will come back. The suitors are trying to marry his wife. His son is is going to be assassinated. His home is overrun with suitors. My world is in a state of chaos right now cause all my grades are bad.

Page 6- The Hero receives the goal of his quest

Odysseus probably would not have survived if he didn't have Penelope. Penelope is Odysseus's wife. Odysseus's thought of Penelope helps him to carry on. He probably would have gotten lost in the road of trials. My goal is to get a car. I willing to work all summer to buy one.