China has always had high immigration numbers. In the past, unskilled men typically left to find jobs abroad and then sent the money home and returned when they made enough to sustain their families (Skeldon). Over the last several decades China has been experiencing financial, governmental and demographic changes. China has the highest number of people of any one country and they are experiencing tremendous levels of migration both in and out of the country. In 2010 China was ranked in fourth place in the area of immigration that took place around the world (Skeldon). In the mid 1960’s when Canada and the United States opened their borders for immigration, a new type of Chinese immigrant began arriving. These people from China were educated, skilled and brought their families with them. In the year 2009, China was the main supplier of international students in the United States (Skeldon). China has always had a high number of people migrate not just to the United States but to other countries as well.
The Chinese sent its first group of immigrants to Indonesia and Southeast Asia in the 15th century. The second group left during the Opium Wars and the third group left near the first part of the 20th century (“Chinese-Indonesians”). The majority of Chinese that went to Indonesia were laborers and traders. The ethnic Chinese never really got along with the native Indonesians. The Dutch that ruled in the colonial era played favoritism to the ethnic Chinese. They assisted the Chinese in establishing economic superiority over the native Indonesians because they were viewed as harder working and smarter. In turn the Chinese supported the Dutch in their colonial rule. The Chinese began to own land and flourished (“Chinese-Indonesians”). This created great dissention between the ethnic Chinese and the native Indonesians. There were violent wars over the years but the Chinese continued to migrate to Indonesia. The economic opportunities far outweighed the opportunities available in mainland China at the time (“Chinese-Indonesians”). Even though some ethnic Chinese flourished in Indonesia the road was never easy.
After years of living in Indonesia many ethnic Chinese intermarried and assimilated into the culture. There was and still is a great deal of discrimination against the Chinese Indonesians. This prejudice can be seen in acts of violence, names they are called, and limiting legislation (“Discrimination Against”1). In the years between 1949 and 1965 a treaty was enacted between China and Indonesia regarding the legal status of Chinese Indonesians. The new law ruled that Chinese Indonesians had to choose which citizenship they would like between China and Indonesian. There were laws that limited certain privileges depending on which citizenship a person had. This made the ethnic Chinese so angry that approximately 390,000 rejected their Chinese citizenship (“Discrimination Against”4). In the ears between 1965 and 1998 Chinese Indonesians were targeted as being part of the Communist Party and were killed. Many new laws were passed and all 629 established Chinese schools in Indonesia were closed (“Discrimination Against. “5).Between 1998 and today many discriminative laws have been recalled and life is changing for the Chinese and the Chinese Indonesian people in Indonesia (“Discrimination Against”7).
The Chinese culture values intelligence and education. They put great stress and importance on children receiving higher education. International education began at the same time as higher education. The first country to open its borders to international students was France (Barg 9). According to studies international students began coming to America to study in 1784. After 1954 there were over 34,000 students and in 2000 three there were over half a million international student studying in the United States (Barg 12). Over half of these students were from Asia (Barg 12). The United States is one of the most desired places to receive a higher education. As cited in Trice, “Rapid economic development in many countries, particularly in Asia where there is strong demand for science, engineering, and graduate training, accounts for much of the recent growth” (Barg 12). America’s high school and college/university programs have been held in high esteem by other countries for many years. America benefits in many ways by taking in international students.
“Without question, as international students study in American Institutions they provide many benefits for the US. They increase the diversity of student populations, add new perspectives to classroom conversations, and, related, increase our awareness and appreciation for other countries and cultures” (Lee & Rice 382). The other benefit is that these international students often pay full-fees for enrollment. Universities are beginning to depend on international student enrollment to keep them afloat. With this in mind it is important that universities remember that the quality of life and standards of education for these students needs to be kept in consideration at all times. In the past, the quality of education in China was far surpassed by the US. However today, many institutions in China are upgrading the quality of their programs. Even with better education available in China students choose to study elsewhere.
Chinese, Chinese American, and Chinese Indonesian students all contend with the problem of being viewed as a “Model Minority Student”. In a study by (McCarron and Inkelas), the graduation statistics are in favor of the Asian students. Far more Asians graduate compared to any other racial and ethnic groups. The possible reason for this is that people of Asian descent have a strong work ethic and being successful is of major importance in Asian cultures. This instills the theory the Asian Americans are a “Model Minority” (Panelo 149). At first this may seem like a great label to have but it can have many negative effects. “Model Minority” Asian Americans are supposed to surpass and excel in most things in comparison to students from any other minority group. They are expected to do better in classes, participate more in activities and work harder at part time jobs (Panelo 150). This idea of the “Model Minority” often is also transferred into the homes of students. Their extended families and parents have exceedingly high aspirations for their students and the pressure to succeed and do well is way above average. Carrying the label of a “Model Minority” can bring so much pressure that it can create psychological problems and social issues (Panelo 150).
The study by (McCarron and Inkelas) found that Asian American students scored much higher in regards to feeling depressed than white students or students of other ethnicities. This study consisted of 508 Asian American students enrolled in college. The study took place over a two year period. Those Asian American students suffering from depression did not feel good about their campus environment and they felt aggression and prejudice from other students (Panelo 150).
The “Model Minority” label disheartens students of Asian American descent from pursuing support services at school which in turn can make problems inside the classroom even worse. First generation Asian students often feel so much pressure from family and parental aspirations that they have great difficulty moving forward from High School to College. Once they are in college, the lack of support and understanding at home, as well as the fear of seeking out on campus help make their college experience even more difficult (Panelo 150).
The Asian culture in general has a different way of handling issues and expectations for their children. Families who have emigrated from Asia often do not communicate openly with their children and they often do not consider discussing problems part of a healthy family lifestyle (Panelo 151). People in the United States are far more comfortable with the idea of getting counseling, personal assistance and openly sharing with friends and family. The Asian culture views this as some kind of weakness. Students having difficulties find it hard to cope without support from home and they do not wish to “lose face” or dishonor their families and so they often struggle alone (Panelo 151). Immigrant parents often have fights with their Asian American students over the new western ideas and the usage of English at home vs. the traditional values and speaking their native tongue (Panelo 151). When these students struggle and feel that they have to be self-supportive and independent it is very hard for them to share their feelings of inadequacy, stress, hopelessness and exasperations and dissatisfactions about school (Panelo 151).
There is research supporting that first-generation students feel that they have less support from the families, that there is less support regarding college from their parents, and that their parents really have no understanding concerning what the college campus is like and the values that exist there (McCarron & Inkelas 536). First generation parents generally do not understand the roles of academic staff, financial aid, English, support services on campus and other important issues. This lack of understanding can cause “culture shock” for the incoming students (Panelo 151).
Asian American parents regularly moved to America so their children could receive a better education and have additional opportunities in life. A stress that is often placed on these Asian American students is that their parents pressure them to pursue certain majors in college regardless of the student’s personal interests. Parents often choose career paths that they feel will set their children up in the world (Panelo 151). Along with choosing their life path parents can push their students into specific extracurricular activities that they feel will coincide with the career path they are sending them on. The intensions of the parents are good at heart but the student may become more depressed because they cannot pursue their own dreams. This becomes even more complicated when you put the American ideas of “pursue your dream” against the traditional values of “honor your parents.” An internal battle will pursue within the student and the psychological stress can become overwhelming (Panelo 151). The sad part of this situation is that highly intelligent students that would excel in their education are often so depressed from not understanding “how things work at the university,” that they end up quitting school (Panelo 151). What started off as a great opportunity that Asian immigrant parents wanted for their children to help them succeed in life and get better jobs has now turned into a very negative experience.
Depression and psychological health concerns run deep for Asian American students. Those that acclimate to Western ways may be willing to seek help from psychologists and counselors. Those student that keep closer ties to their family traditions may take the time to go and speak to an elder in their community or a religious leader that they feel comfortable with (Panelo 152). This helps strengthen the students ethic identity which can help them feel closer to their community and help them transition better into the college atmosphere. The flip side to this is those who hold to traditional values will view help and counsel as a weakness and therefore will not seek vitally needed assistance (Panelo 152). Asian American students who are from Asian immigrant families are at high risk for feelings of hopelessness and seclusion due to three factors: (1) they cannot assimilate into the Western culture or its ideas; (2) the pressure from parents to succeed is overwhelming; (3) they cannot meet up to the expectations of the “Model Minority (Panelo 153). Asian immigrant families come from many different parts of Asia.
There is a huge population of Chinese Indonesian families living in Indonesia. After hundreds of years of migration from China to Indonesia the population is astounding. Asian student mobility or, the ability to study abroad, used to be saved for the upper middle and upper class families in all Asian countries. Today student mobility is Asia has skyrocketed and the middle class is getting involved (“The International Mobility”29). Many middle class families want a better life for their children and they are willing to invest in secondary education. Currently there are not many opportunities for students to attend secondary school or college in Indonesia so students are going abroad.
The Vice Minister of Education in Indonesia has gotten on board with the idea and is helping make government policy that will make it easier for students to participate. In a press conference in 2010 he stated, “Enhancing student mobility will allow a university students’ credit points and grades at other universities in the South East Asian region to transfer to home university. It is beneficial for Indonesian university students if they can study in many countries, with recognized credit transfers” (The International 29). Governments are viewing international education as a way to improve and enhance education and individuals see the possibility of having a better education, career and income for the remainder of their lives (“The International”29).
According to (Sharma) parents are paying for special English tutoring, these lessons are beginning earlier and earlier in life and students are being tutored for longer periods of time. Some parents are even spending savings that should be used for medical care and are investing it in their children’s education instead. The cost of education has risen and the competition to get into a good school has become fierce. Children are pushed to get amazing grades so that they can qualify and get into good universities (Sharma). The craze of getting Chinese and Asian children good secondary educations is not going to go away because it is part of the culture to succeed. “It is deeply embedded in the culture. It's also based on reality that there is no alternative pathway to success or a good career other than a prestige degree, this was true 50 years ago, and it's just as true today" (Sharma).
The problem today as it has been for many years is that the pressure for Asian students does not end after their education. The pressure continues as the graduated students are expected to begin their careers immediately and start helping the family. The thought behind this is after all, the family may have invested everything in the education of their child, so shouldn’t the burden now be on them? What a huge weight to carry for these young students. Most of these young Chinese and Asian students do not wish to dishonor their families, they want to help them and they want to personally succeed in life. A percentage of them will pursue fields of study and careers designated by their families and give up their own personal wishes and heart’s desires. This responsibility and burden creates a huge amount of pressure for any young person and it is no wonder that depression ranks high for these Chinese American and Chinese Indonesian students.
Works Cited
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Geraghty, Louise. “Academic Stress in China: Coping with High Expectations in School
Lee, J.J. & Rice, C. Welcome to America? International student perceptions of discrimination. Higher education, 53, (2007). 381-409.
McCarron, G.P., & Inkelas, K.K. The gap between educational aspiration and attainment for first-generation college students and the role of parental involvement. Journal of College Student Development. 47(5), (2006), 534-549.
Panelo Nathan. “The Model Minority Student: Asian American Students and the Relationships Between Acculturation to Western Values, Family Pressures, and Mental Health Concerns.” The Vermont Connection. 31 (2010): 147-155. Print.
Sharma, Yojana. “Asia’s Parents Suffering ‘Education Fever.’ BBC News. 22 October 2013. Web. 14 April 2016.
Skeldon, Ronald. “China an Immerging Destination for Economic Migration.” Migration Policy Institute. 31 May 2011. Web. 13 April 2016.
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