Chinese ‘parachute kids’ flock to US schools

Growing up in mainland China, Hailun “Helen” Zhou always knew that she would finish her high school education in America, whatever the cost.

“That’s what everybody does,” said the 17-year-old from Sichuan province who has spent the last two years studying in California and will be graduating this spring. “My father’s friends all sent their kids abroad, so that was the trend.”

Ms Zhou is among a growing number of Chinese teens who are flocking to US high schools, looking for a western education and a competitive edge in gaining admission to US universities and then finding a job back home.

But the pursuit of the American dream can quickly turn into a nightmare, experts warn, as many of these so-called “parachute kids” live in the US with little parental supervision and can end up in trouble — and even in prison.

“It’s a huge industry,” said Mr Joaquin Lim, who runs a company that helps place Chinese students in American schools. “The last figure I read put it at 25 billion dollars.”

Of nearly one million international students enrolled in public and private institutions in the United States in 2014-2015, about 304,000 — or 31.2 per cent — were from China, according to the Washington-based Institute of International Education.

Some 30,000 of those students attended secondary schools, compared to fewer than 1,000 a decade ago. The majority of these kids aged between 14 and 19 land in southern California. For the most part, they attend Catholic or Christian schools because of restrictions by the US government on foreign student enrolment at public schools. — AFP

In cities such as Murrieta, a rural community about 80 miles (130 kilometres) southeast of Los Angeles, the number of Chinese students has ballooned in recent years, bringing welcome cash to the school district as well as host families who care for the teens.

“It costs about 50,000 dollars a year for the parents, who are mostly middle class, to send their kids here but they consider it an investment,” Mr Lim said.

“Three years ago, we had about 40 Chinese students enrolled in high schools in Murrieta and today we have more than 300 and the number keeps growing.”

The sleepy town of about 1,05,000 residents, many of them retirees, is a far cry from China’s polluted mega-cities, but most of the teens adjust well to American life, said Ms Renate Jefferson, who oversees the exchange program for the public school district.

“What they notice first is the blue sky,” she said. “They just walk around in awe at the blue sky. They think it’s beautiful.”

The students are also baffled by the freedom they enjoy academically and the artistic outlets available to them — a welcome change from the rigorous, numbers-obsessed learning system in China.

“If there is one word to describe life here, it’s the word ‘free’,” said Mr Junheng “Carl” Li, 19, who is graduating this year from a Catholic school in Murrieta.

“You have a lot of choices and much more freedom to study what you’re interested in.”