Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Feb 2014
270 pages
Genre: History, Current Affairs and Religion
Publication Information
Why do Asian and Asian-American students consistently perform so well on standardized tests? Why are students of Asian descent disproportionately admitted to America's top colleges?
This informative and entertainingly written comparison of educational methods in America and China answers these questions and more, while assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each culture's distinctly different education systems. Education expert Quanyu Huang notes that both Asian and Asian American students excel early on at mastering lesson material and test-taking, whereas many of their non-Asian American peers do not perform as well. The author also points out that American students generally demonstrate far more creativity and independence than students in China, where conformity and rote learning are emphasized. This is evident from the American record of award-winning innovations and discoveries. By contrast, the Chinese educational system has not yet produced a Nobel Prize winner in science.
For Americans to achieve more consistent academic success at primary and secondary grade levels, the author recommends a blend of the virtues inherent in both cultures. He says this is exactly what often gives Asian American students an edge. They have the advantage of an Asian heritage that drives them to succeed and an American culture that teaches them creativity and independent thinking. Above all, Asian families extoll the virtues of education; this attitude is a key component in the success of these students.
Drawing on his own experiences as an immigrant to this country in the 1980s, and as a parent to a son raised in the US, the author concludes by suggesting that Americans rediscover the immigrant attitudes of their ancestors several generations ago. Like Asian immigrants today, they too saw education as a ladder to success in American society. Students anywhere will thrive when their families reinforce the seriousness of education and help children develop the study and discipline habits that ensure academic success.
"Starred Review. His recommendations are demanding (for example, create your own homework for your children), but the rewards promise to transcend the classroom." - Publishers Weekly
"The Hybrid Tiger explains many of the differences between Chinese and American education. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. We can learn from one another." - Diane Ravitch, author of Reign of Error
"A compelling and provocative must-read for anyone interested in knowing more about the cultural intersection of Asian and American educational approaches… Huang's ambitious, accessible, and important work strongly argues that we have much to learn from each other - a lesson that transcends education." - Michael G. Hirschfeld, rector, St. Paul's School, Concord, NH
"East meets West in Huang's provocative and revealing analysis of the potential rewards of classroom cultural convergence. The author grabs the tiger by the tail to point out the opportunities available in combining inherently Asian tenets governing success with American creativity and independence. A must-read for anyone concerned with the future of education in the United States." - Jean Hitchcock, executive director, Signature School, a nationally-ranked International Baccalaureate charter high school, Evanston, IN
"Huang's thoughtful praise and critically constructive observations of two widely regarded and often-replicated educational systems readily translate into practical applications for improving today's schools. What a pleasure it is to see the personal and familial value assigned to education heralded as critical to a student's success at the primary and secondary level." - Thomas M. Kelly, PhD, headmaster, Horace Mann School, New York, NY
This information about The Hybrid Tiger was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Quanyu Huang, Ph.D. (Miami, OH) is director of the Asian/Asian American Studies Program and an associate professor at Miami University of Ohio and the former director of the Confucius Institute. He is a specialist in Sino-American cultural and educational comparison, a columnist for the prestigious South Weekly newspaper, a guest professor at Sun Yat-Sen (Zhongshan) University, and a visiting professor of the Training Program for High School Principals at Beijing University. He is the winner of the 2007 Profound Impact Award from EHS, Miami University. Huang has published numerous books in English and Chinese, including Quality Education in America, the bestselling nonfiction book in China in 2000.
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