The Traditional Asian Women

Posted by Phoebe

http://www.asian-nation.org/gender.shtml

This blog contains a brief history of Asian American women:

"Asian women shouldered much of the cost of subsidizing Asian men's labor. U.S. employers didn't have to pay Asian men as much as other laborers who had families to support, since Asian women in Asian bore the costs of rearing children and taking care of the older generation."

This situation has not been a lot changed with time. The spirit still remains in Asian women's mind, that is, to support and take care of their husbands' family without asking for rewards.

My grandmother had her first child when she was 20 years old. She not only had to take care of my grandfather and my uncle, but also need to bring up my grandfather's younger sisters. She is illiteracy. In her generation, women did not have the right to receive education. The ultimate life goal of a woman in my grandmother's generation is to support and help her husband. There are three disciplines imposed on women in Chinese society: Women should obey her father before marriage, obey her husband when married, and obey her sons in widowhood. Women also need to possess four virtues, those are, morality, proper speech, modest manner and diligent work.

Since the western thought emphasizing women's right spread to the East, the situation has been changed. In my mother's generation, women can go to school and receive higher education. Women can also have their own careers. My mother is a working woman. She also earned college diploma. However, women in this generation still need to look after their husbands' families. My mother told me, "Your children and your husband are the most important things in your life. You have to spare no effort to support them." My mother also said that it is useless for a woman to get a high position at work or high education. If a woman pays too much attention to her work, she will not able to take care of her family.

Nowadays, in my generation, most girls pursue higher position at work or want to get higher education. They think taking care of family cannot only count upon the wife. Both of the husband and the wife should undertake the responsibility. Therefore, there is a huge gap between this generation and the last generation in my country.