The Triple Package

The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America is a book published in 2014 by two professors at Yale Law School, Amy Chua and her husband, Jed Rubenfeld.

According to the preface, the authors find that "certain groups do much better in America than others—as measured by various socioeconomic indicators such as income, occupational status, job prestige, test scores, and so on— [which] is difficult to talk about.

"[1][page needed] Nevertheless, the book attempts to debunk racial stereotypes by focusing on three "cultural traits" that attribute to success in the United States.

"[2] Before its publication, The Triple Package drew attention for its highly controversial assertion that though with tough economy, shrinking opportunity, and rising economic inequality, certain communities are outperforming the national average, experiencing upward mobility and educational attainment at dramatically high rates, and that this success has to do with certain inherent characteristics belonging to these cultural groups.

"[1][page needed] The authors define insecurity as a species of discontent – an anxious uncertainty about your worth or place in society, a feeling or worry that you or what you've done or what you have is in some fundamental way not good enough."

"[1][page needed] For instance, Mormon culture celebrates strict self-discipline with their temperance, two-year mission, and abstinence from sexual relations before marriage.

The coexistence of both qualities "lies at the heart of every Triple Package culture", producing a need to be recognized and an "I'll show them" mentality because the superiority a person has is not acknowledged by the society.

Since Chua has been seen as a provocative figure who sparked a tense debate about parenting with Battle Hymn, this book certainly attracted much attention with its racially charged arguments.

Alicia W. Stewart, writing for CNN, claims that "it's no surprise that her latest book about success and cultural groups was given a bit of side-eye, even before it published.

Publishers Weekly reviewed the book, concluding: "This comprehensive, lucid sociological study balances its findings with a probing look at the downsides of the triple package—the burden of carrying a family's expectations, and deep insecurities that come at a psychological price.

"[14] J. D. Vance, writing in the National Review Online, described the book as "sometimes funny, sometimes academic, and always interesting study of the cultural traits that make some groups outperform others in America.

In her article, she asserts that Chua and Rubenfeld overlooked institutional and structural factors and asks "But what happens if you measure success not just by where people end up—the cars in their garages, the degrees on their walls—but by taking into account where they started?"

[18] Also, he shares the same concern most critics have with this book, questioning "might the successes of the exiles have more to do with their relative class, education and social advantages than the Triple Package?

", concluding that while people are told an A-minus is a bad grade in Battle Hymn, "one wonders what Chua and Rubenfeld will make of an F." Maureen Callahan wrote an article titled "Tiger Mom: Some cultural groups are superior" for New York Post, generated heated debate in the public with its incendiary topic, calling the book "a series of shock-arguments wrapped in self-help tropes, and it's meant to do what racist arguments do: scare people."

[6] Khanh Ho was highly critical of the book in an article for the Huffington Post, concluding: I do have this question: If you arrive in the United States as part of the 1 percent that drained off all the resources from a latter-day colony is it any surprise that you were able to leverage your fortune into a career at a top-notch university?

[23] Before the book's publication, New York Post published an article titled "Tiger Mom: Some cultural groups are superior" which sparked controversy, including people using social media to voice their concerns.

For example, David Leonard, a historian, tweeted "Dear Amy Chua & Jed Rubenfeld, the 1920s called and want their (racial) theories back."