THE CHINESE-AMERICAN METHOD

Book excerpt: Raising a child is challenging for many parents, especially for a new, immigrant family. For those parents, they not only have to face the challenges of integrating themselves into a new environment, but they also need to handle the conflicts coming from two cultural backgrounds. Like many Chinese Americans, the authors inherited the traditional Chinese culture. Yet they also opened their minds and embraced their new culture. Through the collisions of these two cultures, they developed a unique parenting strategy: a combination of the best of both worlds to educate their children. This approach offered them a cutting edge in developing their children to be among the most competitive. As they raised their children, they • held parties to build their children’s social groups; • used teamwork to create a harmonious family, strengthening the family bonds; • helped their children excel in academic competitions; • taught their children how to be rigorous and strive for perfection; • inspired their children to explore innovative strategies to overcome obstacles; • developed their children’s creativity, leadership, and initiative; • encouraged their children to be involved in the community; and • gave their children freedom to develop their individual personalities and discover their full potentials. The authors believe that their story will be beneficial to other parents and also provide a new perspective of Chinese American families for mainstream Americans.