Amy Chua

Prior to teaching, she was a corporate law associate in Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. Chua is also known for her parenting memoir Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. In 2011, she was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people, one of The Atlantic Brave Thinkers, and one of Foreign Policy Global Thinkers.

Amy Chua studied at Harvard College and Harvard Law School. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is international relations, law and commercial law. Places of work recorded in the authority are New Haven. Employment is recorded with Yale Law School, Duke University and Duke University School of Law. Works named in the authority record are Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Distinctions recorded are Grotius Lectures.

• Name — Amy Chua • Birth Name — Amy Lynn Chua • Born — 26 October 1962 • Birthplace — Champaign, Illinois, U.S. • Education — Harvard University (BA, JD) • Subject — Economics, international relations, law, parenting, political science, sociology • Notable Works — * World on Fire (2003) • Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (2011) • Political Tribes (2018) • Children — Two • Occupation — * Corporate lawyer • legal scholar • writer • Website — amychua.com • Spouse — Jed Rubenfeld

Chua was born in Champaign, Illinois, to ethnic Chinese parents with Hoklo ancestry who emigrated from the Philippines. Her parents raised her speaking Hokkien. Her father, Leon O. Chua, is a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. His ancestral hometown is Quanzhou, Fujian. Chua's mother was born in China in 1936, before moving to the Philippines at the age of two. She subsequently converted to Catholicism in high school and graduated from the University of Santo Tomas, with a degree in chemical engineering, summa cum laude. Chua was raised Catholic and lived in West Lafayette, Indiana. When she was 8 years old, her family moved to Berkeley, California. Chua described herself as an "ugly kid" during her school days; she was bullied in school for her foreign accent (which she has since lost) and was the target of racial slurs from several classmates. She went to El Cerrito High School, in El Cerrito, where she graduated as valedictorian of her class. In college, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in economics in 1984 from Harvard College, where she was named an Elizabeth Cary Agassiz Scholar and a John Harvard Scholar. She obtained her J.D., cum laude, in 1987 from Harvard Law School. As a law student, she became the first Asian American officer of the Harvard Law Review after becoming the journal's executive editor. After law school, Chua clerked for Chief Judge Patricia M. Wald of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Chua published the article "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior" on January 8, 2011, discussing the differences between Western and Asian American parenting styles. For instance, she listed things that her daughters are not allowed to do, such as attend sleepovers, engage in playdates, watch TV, play computer games, get grades below A, or be a part of school plays. Throughout her article, she uses the terms "Western" and "Asian" but says that those are loose terms. She explains that there are parents that are not necessarily Chinese, but still have similar parenting techniques. On the other hand, there are also Chinese parents who grew up in the West and choose not to adopt that style of parenting. According to a study cited in her article, 70% of Western American mothers believe that pressuring children to excel in academics would prove detrimental, while 0% of Chinese immigrant mothers agreed, with Chinese mothers instead believing it is vital that children strive for academic achievement. Additionally, it was proven in another study that there was a significantly higher number of Western kids in sports than Chinese kids. Giving examples from her childhood, Chua explains a particular belief housed by Chinese immigrant parents—you receive satisfaction only when you have had success. She argues that repetition, tenaciousness, and constant hard work at something will lead to success. Chua also goes on to explain how Western parents have to walk on eggshells on controversial issues like health and weight, while Asian American parents give it straight. Ultimately, Chua describes three different beliefs in her article. First, Western parents are very concerned about their kids' self-esteem and putting things too harshly. Second, Chinese parents think their kids owe them everything and must repay them. Third, Chinese parents think they know the best path for their kids and therefore override any beliefs or wants that they think is not beneficial for success. Chua emphasizes that this does not mean Chinese parents do not care for their kids—in fact, she argues the opposite—that they really, really, care. Chua provides one last example of a piano incident with her daughter, Lulu. Lulu was having trouble learning a piano piece, and wasn't getting it at the same age that her sister had. While Chua kept pushing her daughter, using all the techniques she could muster, her husband, Jed, had a different mindset. That evening was full of tension and yelling, but at one moment, Lulu ended up getting the piano piece, and that filled her with joy. At a future piano recital, Lulu plays the piece and earns praise and credit.

• Illustration — Chua (right) and her daughters at the 2011 Time 100 gala Chua lives in New Haven, Connecticut, and is married to Yale Law School professor Jed Rubenfeld. The couple has two daughters and a grandson. Chua's elder daughter, Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld Bravo, is a graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School. Sophia previously served as a clerk for Judge Britt C. Grant, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit (2018–2019) and clerk for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh (2019–2020). She is currently an attorney based in Atlanta, Georgia. Chua's youngest daughter, Lulu Chua-Rubenfeld, is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School. Lulu previously served as a judicial law clerk for Judge Roy K. Altman, U.S. District Court for The Southern District of Florida (2023–2024) and judicial law clerk for Judge Barbara Lagoa, U.S. Court of Appeals (2024–2025).

Chua has made appearances on various TV programs. Some include The Today Show, Good Morning America, The View, Charlie Rose, and Real Time with Bill Maher.

Amy Chua is recorded as lawyer, writer, university teacher, economist and jurist.