|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Community Seeking Answers
to Tragedy |
| (By Anthony Tao, KCCJ reporter, September 7, 2005. This is the third article in the series.) Yalu Pao is a mother of three teenagers, so she knows about the difficulties of parenting. She can also appreciate the unique problems created by cultural differences, especially those that may get between Chinese parents and their Americanized children. |
|
"I believe the culture of living here in the United States is different than the culture when we were in China," Pao said. "Here, it's more open, kids have more freedom. I don't know if that's good or bad, but usually the Chinese parents expect more discipline, especially in the kids' teenage years."
Pao did not speculate whether the cultural divide may have contributed to the tension between Shuyi Zhang and her daughter, 16-year-old Esmie Tseng. But her voice was just one of many that rose in the weeks following the inexplicable Aug. 19 incident, when Tseng allegedly stabbed and killed her mother in their home in a quiet Blue Valley neighborhood.
"I feel like everybody is talking about this incident because it's struck a bit too close to home for all of us," said Jinsong Zhang, president of the Kansas City Chinese Network Association, the largest Chinese organization in the Metropolitan area. "(Esmie) was an honor roll student and involved in activities - she played the piano for 10 years - and so for this to happen makes us all very concerned."
The Tseng incident came during a grim week for the Kansas City Chinese community. In mid-August - the seventh month in the lunar calendar, which is Ghost Month according to Chinese traditions - three unrelated deaths jolted the community.
On Friday, Aug. 12, Zhihai Cui, 42, was murdered by four teens in Kansas City, Kan. One week later, Tony Wu, an active member of the Free China Association, drowned in a fishing accident. That same evening, Zhang died of multiple stab wounds inflicted by her daughter.
"I don't know how many of the parents thought of [the Tseng] incident as a wake-up call, but some of them probably thought, 'If this could happen, then anything can,'" said Abigail Chang, former president of the Greater Kansas City Free China Association.
Chang said that it might be helpful for one of the Chinese organizations in Kansas City to create a counseling service or hotline to deal with problems that may arise between parents and their children. She stressed that communication is essential for a healthy parent-child relationship.
Johnny Kung, president of the Chinese Club of Greater Kansas City, said his organization would consider organizing a discussion group for people to talk about the incident in a formal setting.
"It's such an interesting case because it gives an image that is the antithesis of the minority image that we have," Kung said. "I think her being Asian, it happening out in the Blue Valley school district, where it's a 'safe' place..."
Kung's voice trailed off. Like everyone else, he could only offer this final thought: "But I don't know."
"Just like everyone else, I'm interested in finding a motive," he said.
***
Tseng's first court appearance will be at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at the Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe, Kan. She will be represented by attorney Robb Edmonds. The hearing is open for the public.
For the first article of this series, click here.
For the second article of this series, click here.
For the forth article of this series, click here.
Reach Anthony Tao at y-tao2@northwestern.edu |
|
|
|
|
