Malcolm Gladwell wrote that the key to success, in any particular field, is practice for a total of around 10,000 hours. He applied this ideology to the "outliers" of society in his book Outliers: The Story of Success (Gladwell Chapter 2).  Many would agree that this persistent practice is a promising method to attain an expert level in any field.  Ruth K. Chao's research on parenting in Chinese culture supports a similar concept known as "training" which can be linked to the plot of Amy Tan's Two KindsThe Chinese cultural concept of training shapes Amy Tan's Two Kinds into a piece that provides insight to Chinese parenting as it culturally diffuses in Chinese-American families. 

Chao found that Confucian principals, such as respect for your elders, and heavy emphasis on the importance of family, were key factors in why this method is used for child rearing (1111-1119). Chao's research suggests the belief of "guan" in Chinese culture, which literally  "to govern", contributes to this style of parenting.Chinese parents using training expect unquestioning  as apposed to the two-way communication that most Euro-American families promote. Stereotypes of strict Asian parents stem from the perception . To an outsider, this may sound negative, but in Chinese culture "guan" has a positive connotation that is associated with love and care (1111-1119). Despite any cultural differences, the fundamental role of a parent is still to love and care for your child.

Amy Tan, the author of Two Kinds, is well known for the focus on cultural difference in her writing. Often she incorporates topics such as identity, and mother-daughter relationships, as seen in Two Kinds (211).  Tan, like the main character Jing-Mei, found herself in confrontation with her mother throughout her childhood. However, the relationship eventually grew into a beautiful bond between mother and daughter. Tan's closeness to the story allows for a more personal insight to her message. 

Jing-Mei's mother came to America in 1949 after losing everything in China, her parents, her husband, her children, all gone. Looking back wasn't an option; she could only look forward to what America had in store for her daughter. "Of course you can be prodigy, too...you can be best anything" Jing-Mei's mother believed her daughter could achieve anything with enough practice (211). From the age of nine, Jing-Mei was bombarded with expectations to be some kind of prodigy.  It started with Shirley Temple; the child super star captivated Mrs. Mei, but . Every day Jing-Mei was in attempt to match her with some skill from Ripley's Believe it or Not, or anything child prodigy related. Eventually Mrs. Mei , and the training began. Jing-Mei was scheduled to practice two hours a day in addition to weeklyeluctantly, putting in the least amount of effort possible. 

Because she never tried, never became piano prodigyJing-Mei's mother told her "only two kinds of daughters, those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter!" (Tan 218), and the piano training ceased. Jing-Mei's rebellious can be attributed to her being a 2nd generation Chinese-American. As Chao's research showed, the later generations didn't take to training as well as previous generations. Mrs. Mei believed in her daughter, but didn't understand the effects of cultural diffusion on. 

The stereotypical Asian parent is seen as strict, controlling, and unforgiving. Amy Tan's Two Kinds gives us a look into the life of a Chinese-American child,  t first glance  be seen as just another example . However, this is just perception.  the research of Ruth K. Chao, much easier understandthe backstory to this method of raising a child. Training is what shaped , but without the knowledge of what training really means, perception of stor is subjective. Cultural diffusion is inescapable, and how you perceive it is dependent on how well you understand the cultural aspects at play.
