In September of this year, two professors from Brown University published a new research report that challenges the traditional views held by many Americans regarding immigrant children.
Chinese Students Excel, Challenging Traditional Notions
Many people have concerns when immigrating: will their children, lacking an American educational background and language skills, be able to keep up with their teachers' lessons? This latest research clearly dispels such worries.
Professors Evelyn Hu-DeHart and Cynthia Coll, in their report titled "The Immigrant Paradox in Children's Education & Behavior: Evidence from New Research," reveal that the juvenile crime rate among first-generation immigrant children is lower than that of children from second and third-generation immigrant families in the United States.
Some first-generation immigrant children perform better on standardized tests than their peers from second and third-generation immigrant families. First-generation immigrant children also hold a positive attitude towards school and teachers. Although they often lag behind American-born children initially, they quickly catch up.
This research result has somewhat alleviated the concerns of some immigration applicants. Interestingly, on September 15, during a back-to-school speech at a school, President Obama encouraged students to aim high to avoid being surpassed by students from China and India. Obama stated: "Students from China and India are studying harder than ever before. You will be competing with them in the future, and your success in school will not only determine your future but also the future of America in the 21st century."
Immigration consultants believe: "Chinese students are becoming increasingly outstanding, and this is recognized worldwide. China has the largest population of engineers in the world, yet it has always lagged in innovation. Many immigrant parents are precisely aware of this aspect of American education; they hope their children can receive a creative education to compensate for the shortcomings of domestic education."
The American Education Model Relieves Students and Parents
Although there are numerous reports of underperforming students from China becoming top students in the United States, this does not mean that any underperforming student can become a top student in America. There are many conditions to becoming a top student in the United States.
Since the evaluation criteria for students in the United States are not limited to test scores, students need to improve their abilities in various other areas, such as classroom participation, creativity, critical thinking, and practical skills.
This may be somewhat challenging for some Chinese children to adapt to, but if they can be nurtured based on their interests and hobbies, progress can be rapid. From this perspective, the earlier children receive American education, the quicker they can adapt to the American educational model. Once they adapt, parents will find that this educational model not only eases the burden on students but also on parents.
To ensure her child receives a genuine American education, Ms. Zhang completed the immigration procedures through the EB-5 investment immigration program early on. Her child is now attending elementary school in the United States. She said: "After my child came to the United States, I no longer have to coax her to go to school, nor do I have to force her to attend tutoring classes. She is still young and has a strong capacity for learning; she speaks English quite fluently and has no issues communicating with her classmates. We are all quite relieved; we just hope that our child's learning pressure can be lessened, which in turn lightens our psychological burden."
"It is well-known that in global university rankings, American schools consistently lead with a significant number of institutions in the top 20. This is closely related to their open educational model. It is no exaggeration to say that American education generally encourages children to transform learning from a passive activity into an active one, making it easier for teachers, students, and parents alike," explained a senior immigration consultant.
It is reported that due to the economic downturn in the United States, while other countries are raising immigration thresholds, the investment immigration prices in the United States have remained low. Currently, it only requires a minimum investment of $500,000 to apply for EB-5 investment immigration, after which children can enjoy free education in the United States and obtain a permanent green card in as little as two years.