Wholesome Moments with My Chinese Immigrant Mom During Quarantine that Just Make Sense

By Anne Jiang ’23 for Fall 2020 Issue

Asian parents, especially Chinese parents, are portrayed as strict “tiger parents” who exert undue amounts of stress and emotional baggage onto their children. As a first-generation American who adores her Chinese mom (who’s really more of a “kitty parent,” if you ask me), I’m highlighting some wholesome AF lockdown things that my mom did for me. This is inspired by the TikTok trend of showcasing wholesome (mostly white) parents.

1. The times when she drove over two hours to pick up my favorite, hard-to-find Chinese food: liang pi.

2. The times when she insisted on hiking with me (I love hiking!) for safety’s sake, despite being afraid of heights and even more afraid of the bobcat sighting warning signs along the trail.

3. The time that she bought me stuffed animals for my 20^th birthday, despite it being, you know, my 20^th birthday.

4. The time that she allowed me to put her in funny poses with my dad and take photos.

5. The time when she used my head to make herself a photo handbook on how to French braid.

6. All of the times when she reminded me that she is and will always be my best friend.

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