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The dilemma of Chinese students in America: To return or stay?

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The dilemma of Chinese students in America: To return or stay?

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Content THE DILEMMA OF CHINESE STUDENTS IN AMERICA: TO RETURN OR
Copyright 2006
STAY?
by
Xiaoqiu Xu
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(EAST ASIAN AREA STUDIES)
August 2006
Xiaoqiu Xu
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1 1
Table of Contents
List of Tables ii
List of Figures iii
Abstract v
Introduction 1
Chapter 1: History of Chinese Students in America 4
Chapter 2: Research Methodology 13
Overview 13
Questionnaire - a Quantitative Study 14
Interview - a Qualitative Study 17
Limitation of the Study 19
Result of the Survey 19
Chapter 3: Cannot Return: “Sea Turtles” Become “Seaweeds” 24
A Recent Phenomenon in China:
“Sea Turtles” Become “Seaweeds” 24
Aware of the Problem, But Unwilling to Lower the Expectation 28
The Complicated Domestic Situations for Returned Students 33
Unqualified to Be a “Sea Turtle” 35
CHAPTER 4: Cannot Stay: Love, Family, Patriotism & Culture 38
Love & Marriage 38
Parents & Country 47
Language & Culture 52
Chapter 5: Conclusion 57
Bibliography 63
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iii
List of Tables
Table 1: Students’ attitudes toward life in China and America 22
Table 2: Salary Expectations of Chinese Students in America
(Year 2004 & 2006) 29
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iv
List of Figures
Figure 1: To stay or to return 20
Figure 2: Salary Expectations of Chinese Students in America
(Year 2004 & 2006) 30
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Abstract
To stay or return has been a function of multiple variables that Chinese
students in America can never come up with a conclusive and permanent answer.
Those factors of courtship and marriage, family and patriotism and culture work to
restrain them from staying in America. However, if they decide to return to China it
is likely that they will become “seaweed”, waiting for jobs and treated with disfavor
by their peers. Originally landing in the United States with huge ambitions and
glorious dreams, Chinese students in America, years later, find themselves in an
unenviable position. They cannot stay in abroad yet find it difficult to return to
China. This paper will discuss the factors that put Chinese students in America in
such a dilemma and provide some suggestions on how to make decisions about
staying or returning.
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INTRODUCTION
l
It is perhaps telling that Chinese usually greet each other with the question, “Have
you had lunch/dinner?” This question reflects most Chinese people’s primary
concern in daily life-food. Yet recently, Chinese students soon to graduate in
America, especially with graduate degrees, have created a new way of greeting each
other (after first expressing their concern about food): “Do you plan to stay in
America or return to China?” Believe it or not, 9 out of 10 Chinese students will
start their answer with the word “perhaps”, which indicates they are unclear what
their decision will be.
It is estimated that over 70,000 Chinese students were enrolled in American colleges
and universities in 2004 (Chu, 2004). Before they arrive in the United States,
America is their dream— a symbol of freedom and the possibility for a better life—
in short, a place full of opportunities. Some, who haven’t yet left China, have
already planned to stay in America for the rest of their lives even though they have
never been there; others plan to return home after graduation, believing their future
education in America will promise them a better job and a richer life in China later.
However, after they have stepped onto this land which is described in China as “the
way paved with gold1 ”, they find it is very different from what they expected: they
can never become real Americans. On the other hand, the changing Chinese
1 This is a popular saying in China indicating that most Chinese people think that the United States is much
richer than China and it is very likely that they can become millionaires overnight in the United States.
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economy and Chinese peoples’ attitudes toward returned students are even more out
of their expectations- they are gradually out of favor in the Chinese job market -
which makes them hesitant about returning to China.
According to my observation, most Chinese students in America miss the delicious
and cheap food in China, disliking the Americanized and expensive Chinese food in
America; they miss the feeling that they can make a speech before an audience,
expressively and confidently; they despise spending ten minutes asking the way to a
stranger or burning the midnight oil to prepare for the next day’s presentation. They
miss their parents and friends back home, perhaps feeling only lonely in America.
They especially hate the weekend, when all the native Americans hang out at parties,
and they still have to stay at home, watching the never-ending “Friends ” once and
again in different TV channels.
On the other hand, they love the blue sky in America, afraid of going back to the
misty cities in China. They love the relative liberty of life in the U.S. in comparison
with more conservative and complicated human relations in China. They have made
new friends here, perhaps even found a wife or husband, and now are afraid that if
they return to China, they will lose them forever. They know that they can hardly be
real Americans—this is not their homeland. However, through years o f study, they
have developed a special and deep feeling for this country. They are so worried
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3
about the possibility that once they return to China they will never be able to return
to America.
They are stuck between a rock and a hard place. To stay or return has been a
function of multiple variables so that they can never come up with a conclusive and
permanent answer. This paper will discuss the functions of these multiple variables,
in other words, the decision of Chinese students to stay or return as well as the
factors that influence that decision. Are most of them facing the same dilemma?
How does each factor influence their decision? Are there any guidelines that they
can follow to make their decision easier? Before discussing these questions, let us
first look into the history of Chinese students in America. It is possible that the
experiences of previous overseas Chinese students may illuminate some factors in
answering these questions.
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CHAPTER 1: HISTORY OF CHINESE STUDENTS IN
AMERICA
If we trace the history of Chinese students in America and their decision to stay or
return home, it is evident that their decision is not a just a simple personal
preference, but likely more related to politics, both the Chinese government’s
policies toward their return and the American government’s policy toward their
staying.
The first Chinese student that stepped onto American land is Rong Hong (Yung
Wing, Jung Hung) who had entered Morrison school, a missionary school in Macao
in 1841 (Bieler, 2004). In 1847, Rong Hong followed the master of his school, Rev.
Samuel R. Brown, to America and later became a student at Yale University. In
1854, he graduated from Yale and returned to China. Being grateful to his
motherland, he also brought back western ideas of education and persuaded the
Qing government to send students to study abroad. He succeeded, and therefore,
from that point on more and more Chinese went to America to receive higher
education. The history of Chinese students in America began to evolve, interwound
with laughter, tears, happiness and pain.
Although the Qing dynasty finally had to withdraw all Chinese students from
America in 1881 because of the conservative governors’ strong opposition led by
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the Empress Dowager (Bieler, 2004), the concept of “ Shi yi chang jiy i zhi yi ” had
been rooted in many Chinese patriots’ hearts. Although not financially sponsored by
the Qing government, in the late 19th century and early 20th century, more and more
Chinese went to America by personal sponsorship, learning western culture and
technologies. The number of Chinese students in America and Europe during the
Late Qing Dynasty was estimated at about 10 thousand (Chu, 2004). However,
during that period America was not treating the Chinese so nicely. With the
influence of the Chinese Exclusion Act (Kwon & Miscevic, 2005),3 implemented
from 1882-1942, most Chinese students in America chose to return to make
contributions to their motherland and later became the elites in either business or
politics.
After the 1911 Xinhai Revolution and the founding of the Republic of China, the
Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomingtang, KMT) consistently sent Chinese students
from Tsinghua University and Peking University to America (Bieler, 2004). The
KMT president, Sun Yat-sen, himself was actually a returned student from Japan. It
is recorded that during 1912 and 1925, a total of 852 students, including forty-three
women, were sent to America (Chu, 2004).
2 Qing governors had always been arrogant and confident that China was the most powerful country in the
world until China was defeated in the first Opium War (1939-1942) by Britain. Until then did they realize that
China’s technology and industry had very much lagged behind western countries. In the 1860s, Wei Yuan
claimed in his book “Hai guo tu zhi” that Chinese should “ shi y i chang j i y i zhi y i”, which means to fight
back through buying westerners’ weapons and learning their technology.
3 The Exclusion Act excluded all Chinese laborers from the United States for 10 years. Amendments made in
1884 tightened the provisions that had allowed previous immigrants to leave and return. It temporarily
stopped the Chinese from immigrating. The ultimate goal of this act was to completely and permanently
eliminate Chinese from America.
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After Sun Yat-sen died in 1924, his successor Chiang Kai-shek sent even more
Chinese to America and ended up marrying a returned student from America, Song
Meiling, who received her 5-year high school and college education in America
(Tong, 2003). Chiang Kai-shek also had a political preference toward returned
students. In the 1930s before the Sino-Japanese War, China was enjoying a period
o f comparative stability. Chiang Kai-shek was devoted to modernizing China and
desperately needed skilled professionals, especially in the fields of engineering,
medicine and education. In Chinese-American publications, the Nationalist
government posted many advertisements seeking such talented people. For example,
the Shanghai Aviation Association placed an advertisement in the Chinese Digest
looking for Chinese students with aviation skills. The Chinese Ministry of Industry
used the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., to encourage engineers who
specialized in iron and steel smelting to apply for jobs in Shanghai. Those
advertisements were effective enough to lure Chinese students in America to return
home. Besides just returned Chinese students, it is estimated that 20 percent of
American-born Chinese returned to China in the 1930s (Kwon & Miscevic, 2005).
Chiang Kai-shek highly valued these returned students and placed them into very
important positions. According to a study based on the survey Who’ s Who in China,
56.2 percent o f the highest-ranking figures in the Chinese government, academy,
and military by 1939 had received an advanced education in America (as cited by
Kwon & Miscevic, 2005).
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During the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), the number of students sent to America
dropped drastically to less than a hundred a year (Chu, 2004). Undoubtedly, few of
them would return during this tumultuous period to face the catastrophe of war. At
the same time, America declared war on Japan in 1941 and felt the need for support
from Chinese in America to fight against their common enemy—Japan. The next
year (1942), the Exclusion Act was abolished. The Chinese in America were for the
first time given the opportunity to participate in professional and commercial
activities that had previously been denied to them. They also gained the right to own
land and to form corporations in many states that had prohibited them from doing so
on the grounds that they were “aliens ineligible for citizenship” (Kwon & Miscevic,
2005). For the sake of security and better treatment, Chinese in America had gained
many rights during this period, therefore, most of them chose to stay to be sheltered
and to advance their careers in America.
After the Sino-Japanese War, the KMT government continued its policy of sending
Chinese abroad. However, its regime did not last long. Not until Chinese students in
America understood why there was another miserable war4 going on in China and
which party they should support, did Chiang Kai-shek’s army suddenly collapse in
1949 and have to retreat to Taiwan. Chinese students in America, most of whom
originally planned to go back to China under the KMT’s regime, suddenly had to
4 The Chinese civil war was a conflict in China between the Nationalist party led by Chiang Kai-shek and the
Communist party led by Mao Zedong. The Nationalist army gradually lost its ground due to corruption and
lack o f Chinese people’s support. In 1949, Chiang Kai-shek and his army fled to Taiwan. Civil War ended and
the People’s Republic of China was founded in October 1, 1949.
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consider their political positions vis-a-vis Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the new
ruling party in China. They were curious about its future policies—particularly its
attitude towards overseas Chinese. Many adopted an attitude of “wait and see.” One
of the most prestigious Chinese Americans, physicist Zhenning Yang,5 once
mentioned in his letter to his friend Fermi in 1949, “I recently got some letters from
my father. He strongly discourages me to go back to China. So I think I would want
to be back at Chicago next fall (Cronin, 2003).” Why did his father refuse his son’s
request to return? Obviously, it was not because he did not want to see his son again
after years of separation, but he was more concerned about his son’s future in the
new China under communist rule.
Meanwhile, although after WWII Chinese were treated more fairly in America, they
did not enjoy this elevated status for very long. With the outbreak of the Korean
War, Chinese instantly became the most hated enemy of the United States. They
were regarded as spies (or potential spies) for the Chinese Communist government.
Undoubtedly, the first to come under scrutiny were the progressive Chinese students
in America often active in politics. New York Times columnist James Reston, a
Washington-based journalist with “extraordinary access to the White House” (as
cited by Kwong & Miscevic, 2005), wrote in 1951 that many members of the
Chinese Student Christian Association (CSCA) and the Association of Chinese
Scientific Workers in America (ACSWA) were subversives. Soon after, the U.S.
5 Zhenning Yang is a Chinese American physicist who worked on statistical mechanics and symmetry
principles, who won Nobel Prize in Physics 1957 for his theory that weak force interaction between
elementary particles did not have parity symmetry.
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government issued orders restraining Chinese students and experts in the United
States from returning to China. Those in the fields of science and technology were
under particular attention. In August 1950, the U.S. government prohibited Tsien
Hsue-shen, one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California
Institute of Technology and previous a Lieutenant Colonel of the United States
Army during WW II, from leaving the country. He was detained as a spy for
Communist China in prison until 1955 when he was released in exchange for
American prisoners from the Korean War held by China. Many Chinese students in
America felt threatened by Tsien Hsue-shen’s example. More importantly, most of
the Chinese students in the United States at that time actually belonged to the old
regime (Chiang Kai-shek’s regime) and were not prepared to “venture home to test
the hospitality of the unknown, new Communist system (Kwon & Miscevic, 2005).”
Only 120 of more than 4,000 potential applicants eventually applied for permission
to depart for China.
Under the new CCP’s rule, China started its entirely different policies on sending
students abroad. China, at that time, did not stop sending students abroad, but
changed the destination where those students should land— which became mostly
Soviet Russia and Eastern Europe. America, one of the capitalist countries, was
regarded as China’s biggest enemy at that time and one of the forbidden areas that
no Chinese should visit. That policy lasted until the end of Cultural Revolution
(1966-76). On the other hand, the U.S. Congress passed a new general immigration
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law that abolished “national origins” as the main consideration for entry to the
United States and instead permitted the parents, spouses, and unmarried minor
children of U.S. citizens and residents to enter without limit. Unfortunately, Chinese
families in America had been unable to take advantage of this new immigration law
because they were unable to “leave China embroiled in the isolationist sentiments of
the Cultural Revolution.” (Hsu, 2000)
At the same time, from the 1950s to thel970s, Chinese in America were also
shocked by what was occurring in China. The continuous political movement
initiated by Mao Zedong, such as the One Hundred Flowers policy, the Great Leap
Forward and the Cultural Revolution, all sounded fanatical to them. In addition, the
sad stories of their previous classmates or friends in America, who had tried every
means to return after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, were
so distressing and beyond their imagination: many reported being beaten up, sent to
rural areas to do farm work, and some even committed suicide because of those
unbearable things happening on them. Those miserable stories frightened Chinese in
America. Few of them wanted risk their lives to return to China (Kwon & Miscevic,
2005).
After the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese government under the new leader, Deng
Xiaoping, adopted an “open-door policy.” The Chinese government decided to
resume sending students abroad for study. This decision was later reaffirmed in the
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government’s ambitious plans for scientific and economic development. The
number of Chinese students in America increased year by year. However, this
policy was not without risks. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, many Chinese
students decided to stay in America, trying every means to get a “green card” to
become a permanent resident, which enhanced the serious problem of “brain drain”
in China (Zweig, 1995).
With great concern about this inauspicious “brain drain” and, of course, its loss of
face, the Chinese government made great efforts to entice these students back by
creating a freer and more attractive climate, more specifically, by improving both
the living and working conditions for them. Perhaps intrigued by this more
comfortable climate, at the turn of the 21st century, more and more Chinese have
been returning to China on completion of their programs of study. However, in the
recent three or four years, the overwhelming number of returned students has
created another problematic phenomenon in China which I will explain in Chapter 4:
“sea turtles” have become “seaweed”6. In 2003 alone, about 18,000 overseas
students and scholars returned to China; this number was expected to continue
increasing at the yearly rate of 13% (Wang, 2003). The overwhelming number of
the returned students swamped the Chinese job market and many of them became
unemployed.
6 The terms “sea turtle” (a pun on “hai gui”) and “seaweed” (a pun on “hai dai”) are homonyms for “return
from abroad” and “return and wait (for work)”in Chinese respectively.
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From the Qing Dynasty (late 19th century and early 20th century) when most Chinese
in America chose to return to China due to their traditional loyalty and the
unwelcoming policy of Exclusion Act in America, to the Republic of China (1911-
1949) when most Chinese in America returned and became high officials in the
government, to the Mao years (1949-1976) when Chinese in the mainland could not
go to America and Chinese in America dared not go back, to the late 20th century
when most Chinese tried every means to get a green card, and to the most recent
years when many “sea turtles” have become “seaweed”, it is interesting to find out,
through the history of Chinese students in America, that in almost each period,
Chinese students had different preferences regarding returning or staying.
What will be the most common decision of Chinese Students in America in the new
millennium? And what are the most important factors that influence their decisions?
In the next chapter, my survey of some sample Chinese Students in America will
provide answers to these questions.
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CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Overview
My research questions are: Are Chinese students in America in a dilemma of
returning and staying? What are the factors that affect their decisions? To get a more
accurate perspective of this phenomenon, I have employed both quantitative and
qualitative approaches in my study.
My sample consists of 69 Chinese students who are currently studying at, or have
just graduated from the University of Southern California (USC). One reason for
choosing this sample is the peculiarity of USC as being the leading host for
international students consecutively from 2002 to 2005 (“U.S. Sees”, 2005). Also its
location, Los Angeles, a city rich in ethnic and cultural diversity, is many Chinese
students’ ideal place to further their studies.
The other reason is to facilitate my research since I am also studying in the area. My
research is actually a field study. Many of the sample students are my neighbors,
classmates, friends and their friends. Therefore, I could approach them easily,
interviewing them and observing their lives. In my following chapters, I will include
many individual case studies of my sample students.
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Questionnaire - a Quantitative Study
To obtain a macroscopical view of my research topic, I asked my sample students to
respond anonymously to one questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire asked
them to provide background information about themselves (e.g., gender, age, major,
etc.). The second part was to investigate their decisions as to staying or returning.
The third part asked them to respond to a list of questions regarding how important
each factor was in terms of its influence on their decisions about returning or staying.
The fourth part asked them to describe their attitudes toward various aspects of life
in both China and America. They were told that there was no right or wrong answer
and the best answers would be those that honestly and accurately reflected their true
thoughts and feelings. The questionnaire is written in English as below7:
Questionnaire: To Stay or to Return?
Section 1: Background Information
1. How old are you?
2. Male or Female?
3. How long have you been in America?
4. What is your major?
5. Have you ever worked in China (including part-time experience)?
6. Have you ever worked in the United States (including part-time experience)?
7 Since all the sample students have passed TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and GRE
(Graduate Record Examination), they are assumed to have no problem in understanding the questionnaire in
English. They are also encouraged to ask questions if encountering any confusing language or ideas.
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Section 2: To stay or to return
What will be your decision as to staying in the U.S. or returning to China? Please
choose one of the following options:____
A. I have made up my mind. I will return to China right after graduation.
B. I have made up my mind. I will find a job and settle down in America.
C. I am still hesitating, but leaning towards returning to China.
D. I am still hesitating, but leaning towards staying in America.
E. I am still hesitating, not leaning towards any side.
Section 3: Factors that influence your decision
Rate each factor that is likely to influence your decision about staying or returning
on a scale of 1 to 5 (1: not important, 2: a little important, 3: important, 4: very
important, 5: extremely important). These are in no particular order.
( ) 1. Salary of my future job is good.
( ) 2. My future job will allow me to fully demonstrate my abilities.
( ) 3. Human relationship is simple in my future career.
( ) 4 .1 do not want to be separated from my girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband.
( ) 5 .1 want to take care of my parents.
( ) 6 .1 want to make contributions to my motherland— China.
( ) 7 .1 hope my language and expression can be fully understood by everybody.
( ) 8. Cultural identity
( ) 9. A less polluted environment
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( ) 10. Freedom of speech, press, assembly and other rights
Section 4: Attitudes toward life in China and America.
Read the following sentences. Underline the item that matches your opinion.
1 .1 think the Chinese job market is not as promising as it was for returned students
from abroad.
c c c c c
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
2 .1 am not good at handling the intricate human relationships in China.
C C’ C ~ C ~ C "
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
3. It is very embarrassing that I will not be able to find a better job than my peers
(e.g. your old classmates) when I return to China.
c c c c c
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
4 .1 think racial discrimination still exists in America and possibly, in my future job.
c c c c c
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
5. It is easier to find a good girlfriend/wife in China (if you are male).
c ~ c c c c
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
6. It is easier to find a good boyfriend/husband in China (if you are female).
c c c c c
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
7 .1 can have a happier life with my girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband in
China (if you already have a girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband).
C ' c c c c
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
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8 .1 am worried that language will be a barrier when I am job-hunting in America.
r c c c c
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
9. It will be difficult to assimilate into American culture.
C ~ C C ~ C' C'
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
10. Life in America is much lonelier than life in China.
C ~ C C ~ C
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
11. If you decide to return to China, what is your expected salary for your future job?
r 3,000RMB and below r 3,000RMB-3,999RMB
r 4,000 RMB-4,999RMB r 5,000RMB-5,999RMB
r 6,000RMB-6,999RMB r 7,000RMB-7,999RMB
r 8,000RMB-8,999RMB r 9,000RMB-9,999RMB
r 10,000RMB and above
Interview - a Qualitative Study
I also interviewed 28 students out of the 69 sample students face-to-face or through
the Internet. Some of them were my neighbors or friends since I had easier access to
them; some were recommended by previous interviewees; others were just random
samples who were willing to be interviewed. The 28 volunteers were informed of
the study’s purpose and how many times they would possibly be interviewed. The
interview was structured around these basic questions: Are you hesitant about
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staying or returning? If yes, what makes you hesitate? If no, what makes you
determined? Do you have any personal stories to share regarding my research topic?
Other common questions used in the interview were: What do you like/dislike most
about America? What do you like/dislike most about China? What are the other
factors that might influence your decision to stay or return? Do you have any
suggestions for those Chinese students in America who are experiencing the
dilemma of staying or returning?
To promote better communications between the interviewer and the interviewees,
all the interviews were carried out in Chinese since both the interviewer and
interviewees’ first language was Chinese. In addition, to provide a natural setting for
the interviewers, most conversations were set in the places according to
interviewees’ preferences, mostly a university setting, interviewees’ homes, or
places near campus. They felt very comfortable during the interview and were very
cooperative to my study. I explored their individual life experiences and carefully
recorded or wrote down the data.
The qualitative approach is not only a continued in-depth research of my
quantitative study, but also helps me to discover more vivid and detailed
information concerning the factors that impact on their decisions.
Limitation of the Study
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The limitation of the study is the generalization of the sample and the data. The
sample students were not random. They were mostly my friends or my friends’
friends. Restricted by time and conditions, I could not distribute the questionnaire to
and interview the Chinese students in many American universities. Also when
treating the data, I have to generalize some phenomena according to my sample
students’ life experiences. However, as a field study, though a little generalized, it
can still reflect the true and hidden facts of my research objects and provide
valuable answers to my research questions.
Result of the Survey
Section 1 of the questionnaire is to collect the information of my sample students’
background. It also facilitates the comparison of data between ages, genders, majors,
etc. Among the 69 students, 19 students were 20-24 years old, 31 students 25-29
years old, 24 from 30-34 years old, 5 students 35 and above. 39 students were male,
30 students female. The time they had been in America varied from 1 year to 13
years. They had majored in different subjects, including Sociology, MBA,
Communication, Chemistry, Mathematics, Engineering, etc. 21 out of 69 had
working experience in China and 18 had working experience in America.
Section 2 is to study the decision made by Chinese Students in America: to stay or
return. Among the 69 students, 8 chose A (I have made up my mind. I will return to
China right after graduation); 5 chose B (I have made up my mind. I will find a job
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and settle down in America); 29 chose C (I am still hesitating, but leaning towards
returning to China); 15 chose D (I am still hesitating, but leaning towards staying in
America); 12 chose E (I am still hesitating, not leaning towards any side).
Altogether, among the 69 students, there were only 13 students (19%) who chose A
or B that seemed to be very assured of their future. However, the majority, 56
students (81%) who chose C or D or E, were still hesitating about their future as to
returning or staying. See the chart below:
Figure 1: To stay or to return
Section 3 is to investigate the importance of the factors that influence students’
decisions to return. Items 1 to 3 are focused on career and job. Item 4 is about their
love and marriage. Item 5 is about their parents. Item 6 is about patriotism. Items 7
and 8 are about language and culture. Items 9 and 10 are about environmental and
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21
political issues respectively. Below is how my sample students ranked these factors
according to their importance averagely.
1 .1 want to take care of my parents. (4.18)
2. My future job will allow me to fully demonstrate my abilities. (4.12)
3 .1 do not want to be separated from my girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband.
(3.60)
4. Salary of my future job is good. (3.56)
5 .1 want to make contributions to my motherland— China. (3.42)
6 .1 hope my language abilities and expression can be fully understood by
everybody. (3.33)
7. Cultural identity (3.12)
8. Human relationship is simple. (3.09)
9. Freedom of speech, press, assembly and other rights (2.98)
10. A less polluted environment (2.80)
Section 4 is to investigate their individual attitudes toward various aspects of life in
China and America. See the data below (the data of item 11 will be provided and
discussed in Chapter 4):
1 .1 think the Chinese job market is not as promising as it was for returned students
from abroad.
2 .1 am not good at handling the intricate human relationships in China.
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22
3. It is very embarrassing that I will not be able to find a better job than my peers
(e.g. your old classmates) when I return to China.
4 .1 think racial discrimination still exists in America and possibly, in my future job.
5. It is easier to find a good girlfriend/wife in China (if you are male).
6. It is easier to find a good boyfriend/husband in China (if you are female).
7 .1 can have a happier life with my girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband in
China (if you already have a girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband).
8 .1 am worried that language will be a barrier when I am job-hunting in America.
9. It will be difficult to assimilate into American culture.
10. Life in America is much lonelier than life in China.
strongly
agree
agree neutral disagree strongly
disagree
1 20 41 7 1 0
2 9 31 18 10 1
3 10 40 17 2 0
4 8 37 22 2 0
5 8 17 11 3 0
6 0 8 9 12 1
7 4 17 9 4 1
8 6 35 15 3 0
9 14 35 15 5 0
10 11 35 11 10 2
Table 1: Students’ attitudes toward life in China and America
My first research question, “are Chinese students in America in a dilemma of
returning and staying”, has been answered. The sample students’ responses to
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section 2 demonstrate that most of the Chinese students in America are in a dilemma
of staying or returning. My second and third research questions, “what are the
factors that affect their decisions and how do they put them in such a dilemma”, can
be partly answered by the data I collected from the questionnaire as the sample
students had rated each factor and expressed their attitudes toward life in China and
America. To stay or to return, each has its push-and-pull factors that make Chinese
students in America hesitant.
To answer the second and third research questions, this paper, in the next two
chapters, will focus on the push factors of each side - why they cannot stay or return,
and depict the dilemma of Chinese students in America with the quantitative data I
collected from the questionnaire as well as the qualitative data I collected from 28
students’ interviews.
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CHAPTER 3: CANNOT RETURN: “SEA TURTLES”
BECOME “SEAWEED”
According to the result of my survey, 61 sample Chinese out of 69 responded
“strongly agree” or “agree” to item 1 in Section 4, “I think the Chinese job market is
not as promising as it was for returned students from abroad,” which indicates that
most Chinese students in America are actually well aware of the recent phenomenon
in China: “sea turtles” become “seaweed”.
A Recent Phenomenon in China: “Sea Turtles” Become “Seaweed”
The terms “sea turtle” (a pun on “hai gui”) and “seaweed” (a pun on “hai dai”) are
homonyms for “return from abroad” and “return and wait (for work)” in Chinese
respectively. In the late 1990s, the “sea turtles” in China were regarded with
uncommon respect. They were described as having “talents beyond compare,” or
even possessing “supernatural” abilities. They became strong candidates in the
Chinese job market, most of whom later found very good jobs in prestigious
Chinese universities, large state-owned enterprises or joint-venture companies. In
the new millennium, lured by stories of quick employment and even faster money,
more and more “sea turtles” have been going back.
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25
However, things are not what they have imagined. Many of them ran around the job
market for long periods with no result. High expectations were disappointed by the
inferior positions offered; pride and dignity were worn down by constant rejections
- many finally gave up hope and became unemployed. According to statistics of the
Shanghai job market, in 2003 there were up to 7,000 “sea turtles” that were
unemployed in Shanghai. Some sea turtles, without better offers, had taken jobs
that paid less than $4,000 a year (Zhang, 2003). Last year, one software company in
Zhong Guan Village8 offered a position with a very low salary of 2,500 RMB
(Chinese currency) per month (roughly equivalent to $300/month). When the boss
was still worrying about whether or not there would be interested individuals,
unexpectedly, three “sea turtles” submitted their resumes, determined to compete for
that position (Wang, 2005). Ma Xinjun, manager of the Beijing Talent Service
Center, told the story of a “sea turtle.” The man had already made $6,000 a year at a
high-tech firm years before. But he was not very satisfied and left to study overseas.
Last year, he returned to China and started to look for a more decent job. However,
he was so frustrated by the real situation in the Chinese job market that he finally
applied to his old company. The only job available was his old job, at the same pay,
and he reluctantly accepted it (Glionna, 2004).
No sooner had they realized what had happened than the “sea turtles” were suddenly
out of favor. Many of them, who were privately funded by their parents when
8 Zhong Guan village, located in northwest Beijing near three major universities, is a famous electronic
village in China. It is also an R&D center, home to the China Academy o f Sciences laboratory and such top
computer makers as Stone, Founder, and Legend. Chinese People entitle it as “China’s Silicon”.
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26
studying abroad, returned home, still dependent on their elderly parents, shameful
indeed according to the Chinese traditional thought of Confucianism. Therefore,
Chinese people mockingly gave them another nickname “seaweed”, “hai dai”,
which is pronounced the same way as “returned from overseas and waiting (for a
job)”, but written in different characters.
Why have “sea turtles” become “seaweed?” According to a brief survey I
conducted among Chinese students at the University of Southern California in 2004,
this deprecation of “sea turtles” has been caused by a combination of factors: 1) the
steep rise in the number of returnees as the Chinese economy has boomed in recent
years, 2) the growth of homebred talent, and 3) the “seaweeds’” unreasonably high
expectations and lack of work experience.
In recent years, competition in the Chinese job market has become increasingly
intense. As a matter of fact, the complaints voiced by returning students are
coincidentally identical to those expressed by the graduates of Chinese
universities—not only of the two- or three-year specialized colleges, but also of the
elite universities. According to statistics on China’s job market for June 2004, the
rate of employment of the college and university graduates was only 47%, which
strongly demonstrates the grim reality job hunters currently face in China’s job
market (Hua, 2004).
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27
While the national organizations were still struggling with the pervasive problem of
efficiently utilizing the graduates from China’s own institutions of higher education,
“sea turtles,” without knowing the real situation in China, exultingly surged into the
troubled waters of China’s job market. What makes the problem more serious is the
coincidence of the “seaweeds’” similar majors and ideal working places. In the
Chinese job market, there are too many applicants with the same advanced degrees.
According to statistics of the Shanghai job market, those with work experience in
fields such as law or banking can demand higher salaries. Many sea turtles, however,
return with MBAs (Master of Business Administration) or information-technology
degrees, which have flooded the job market (Glionna, 2004).
This phenomenon can also, in some degree, be explained by the economic
relationship between supply and demand. An economic axiom asserts that when the
demand for goods and services exceeds the supply, prices will rise, and when supply
surpasses demand, prices will go down because there are more than enough goods
that consumers need. According to this economic axiom, the decline of price of the
“sea turtles” is rational. On the other hand, most of them cannot accept this
declining demand for their skills, and therefore have become “seaweed.”
Besides the exceedingly large returned number, most returned Chinese students also
have exceedingly high expectations of their future. When these “sea turtles” return
from abroad, they possess not only diplomas in hand, but also big ambitions in heart.
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Apart from the desire “to contribute to China’s modernization,” which was always
advertised by the Chinese media, most cared more about practical things. They had
long heard about the successes of their predecessors, fancying one day they could
have their own BMW and luxury villas in Binjiang Garden.9
Aware of the Problem, But Unwilling to Lower the Expectation
My sample students’ responses to the item “I think the Chinese job market is not as
promising as it was for returned students from abroad” demonstrate that they have
well realized this problem in the Chinese job market. They are afraid once they
return to China they will also become of “seaweed.” Through my interviews, I find
they also agree that one important reason why many “sea turtles” become
“seaweed” is their high salary expectation. They rated the sentence “salary of my
future job is good” 3.56 out of 4 (between important and very important). What is
even more interesting is that I conducted my survey in 2004 about their expected
salary in China and I did the same survey this year (see item 11 in Section 4 of the
questionnaire), but the survey result shows that their expectation, instead of being
lowered, is actually even a bit higher.
In 2004, my sample consisted of 71 Chinese students currently studying at the
University of Southern California, who helped me to fill out the survey. The number
9 Located in the heart of Shanghai city near famous Huangpu River, Binjiang Garden is renowned for its
luxury apartments and villas. The average monthly rent for an apartment in Binjiang Garden is about 3,000
dollars. It is one of the most preferable living places for the richest people in Shanghai.
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29
of students that are willing to accept the lowest salary 3,000+ RMB is 1; 4,000+
RMB/month 2; 5,000+RMB/month 13; 6,000+RMB/month 14; 7,000+
RMB/month 10; 8,000+ RMB/month 15; 9,000+RMB/month 12. 4 students have
no idea about their future salaries, and none of the 71 students would accept a salary
below 3,000 RMB. When it comes to the year 2006, my 69 students come up with
this result: The number of students that are willing to accept the lowest salary
3,000+ RMB is 1; 4,000+ RMB/month 1; 5,000+ RMB/month 8; 6,000+
RMB/month 19 ; 7,000+RMB/month 6; 8,000+RMB/month 19; 9,000+
RMB/month 2, 10,000+RMB/month 9. 4 students have no idea about their future
salaries, and none of the 69 students would accept a salary below 4,000 RMB. See
the table and chart below:
2004 (71 students) 2006 (69 students)
number percentage number percentage
3,000+RMB 1 1.4% 0 0%
4,000+RMB 2 2.8% 1 14.5%
5,000+RMB 13 18.3% 8 11.6%
6,000+RMB 14 19.7% 19 27.5%
7,000+RMB 10 14.1% 6 8.7%
8,000+RMB 15 21.1% 19 27.5%
9,000+RMB 12 16.9% 2 29.0%
10,000+RMB 0 0% 9 13.0%
No response 4 5.7% 4 5.8%
Table 2: Salary Expectations of Chinese Students in America (Years 2004 & 2006)
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30
20
18
16
i
i
3,00 4,00 5,00 6,00 7,00 8,00 9,00 10,0 No
0+R 0+R 0+R 0+R 0+R 0+R 0+R \ 00+ Res
MB MB MB MB MB MB MB \ RM pons
M2004 1 2 13 14 10 15 12 \ 0 4
2006 0 1 8 19 6 19 2 | 9 4
Figure 2: Salary Expectations of Chinese Students in America (Years 2004 & 2006)
From the survey, I found that the average salary acceptable to the students was
6467.2RMB/month in 2004 and 6865.5 RMB/month in 2006. However, according
to the suggestion of the Shanghai Labor and Security Bureau10, the lowest
suggestive salary for job-hunters in 2006 is only 1360 RMB/month and the highest
suggestive salary is 5257 RMB/month, which is only for those who majored in
Automobile Designing.
1 0 www.12333.gov.cn/wsbs/gzba/gz/2006biye.htm
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31
Why haven’t Chinese students in America lowered their salary expectations in
China which can definitely avoid their fate of being “seaweed”? Let us listen to
what they say about salaries and jobs in China.
Mr. Xie, a 28-year-old student who majored in Chemical Engineering told me why
he would not lower his salary expectation. “ I f I return to China, I would rather he
“ seaweed” than accept a job offer with the same salary as domestic students. I ju st
want to get what I deserve, ” he said. He also mentioned that an American Ph.D.
was not as easy as a Chinese Ph.D. He said, in China, i f a person had a good
relationship with his/her professor, the professor will ju st let him/her pass no matter
how poor his/her final project or thesis was. Many Chinese Ph.D. candidates
graduated within three years in China. This was the fourth year in his Ph.D.
program; he had not yet planned to graduate, not because he didn’ t want to, but
because he dared not even mention that to his advisor.
A good job and a handsome salary are decided by one’s real competence, not a
foreign diploma or how long you spend to get it. That’s the attraction of the free
labor market. Education or a diploma from abroad might serve to find a good job
temporarily, but without real competence, sooner or later, such “sea turtles” will be
washed out of the job market.
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Mr. Wang, a 32-year-old m aster’ s candidate majoring in Urban Planning, expressed
his reason fo r not lowering the expected salary. Before he came to the United States
for his master s degree, he had already made over 6,000 RMB/month in a big urban
planning company. “ It was a big mistake that I went to America. Three years ago,
most Chinese cities were under construction. Many o f my previous colleagues have
become millionaires during these three years. Can you believe it? They have owned
big houses, luxury cars, and close human networks with other companies and the
local government. ” He did not speak fo r a while, “You know, I miss my parents so
much. But I did not return during those three years. I contributed all my savings and
my parents ’savings to my master’ s degree. I f I get back, I am almost penniless. How
will my previous colleagues look at me? A Loser! It is not ju st money, but more
about my face. ”
Same as Mr. Wang, 50 out of 69 respond “strongly agree” or “agree” to item 3 in
section 4: “It is very embarrassing that I will not be able to find a better job than my
peers (e.g. your old classmates) when I return to China.” Influenced by
Confucianism, many Chinese are not living for themselves, but for their “face”, in
another word, for their reputation. They care about others’ opinions towards them
more than their own feelings. They enjoy talking behind the backs of others, but are
afraid of being gossiped about by others. However, a person’s life is just like
wearing shoes. No matter how delicate they look outside, whether they are
comfortable or not is only known by the wearer.
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The Complicated Domestic Situations for Returned Students
Interestingly, through my interviews, I also found some students that have decided
not to return not because of their high expectation, but because of lack of confidence
in dealing with domestic situations. In my survey, 40 out of 69 responded “strongly
agree” or “agree” to item 2 in section 4: “I am not good at handling the intricate
human relationships in China.” Different from America, everything in China is
established on guanxi (human relationship). A good human network can sometimes
give you consecutive promotions. However, a bad human network will be a huge
barrier in your career no matter how capable you are.
To establish a good human network with one’s colleagues, he/she must have very
excellent communication skills, which was, actually, another hurdle preventing “sea
turtles” from becoming their companies’ favorite. While those who studied abroad
for a very short time might not have the overseas skills coveted by employers, those
who obtained multiple degrees and had extended stays might have a hard time
adapting to the environment in China, which has changed dramatically since their
departure. Ways of doing things in China were different. For example, managing
government relations was crucial, and hiding in a lab could not solve all problems.
Even if some “sea turtles” would like to open their mouths to communicate, the
Western outspokenness they gained abroad was not particularly marketable back
home.
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34
Mr. Zhu, a Ph.D. student who majored in Economics, told me his story in China.
Three years ago, after graduating from a prestigious American university with an
MBA degree, he returned to China and easily found a position in a big joint-venture
company in Shanghai as a sales manager. He did a most remarkable job among all
the sales managers but was rewarded with the same salary, which made him feel his
contributions tremendously outweighed his reward. “One day, I steeled myself
enough to discussing this issue with the vice president. However, he rejected me
without any thought. I was so upset that I stupidly threatened him the following
month I could possibly jum p to another company that offered me a higher salary.
His answer stunned me, Actually, you can resign right now. There are still many
talents on the waiting list. ’ I had no choice but to resign the next morning. I did not
jump to another company which was actually a fraud. I lost interest in working in
China and applied for a Ph.D. in America again. ”
The “sea turtles” were also criticized for their materialistic and individualistic
attitudes. Chinese employers thought many “sea turtles” had fostered unrealistic,
and sometimes even laughable, salary demands. They were much more self-centered,
more aggressive in the pursuit of their professional goals, and cared little about how
their decisions might reflect on their companies, which is a big contradiction of
Chinese collectivism. Whenever they found a job that was either better paid or
provided a higher position, they would quickly jump to that company, sometimes
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35
even without informing their previous employer. Some Chinese employers
nicknamed them as “job-hoppers.”
Also, in China, language is more like an art. If you really want to have a higher
salary, you had better not directly express it. Instead, you should first express how
much you love your work and your company. Then you can probably mention that
prices are rising, or you want to buy a car or get married, but are short of money.
The boss can easily understand your hint, but no one will say so directly. If the boss
really thinks you deserve a higher salary, he will offer it to you voluntarily. He does
not need to be threatened by your proposing to find a new job.
Unqualified to Be a “Sea Turtle”
When asking the question, “do you think you will be a qualified ‘sea turtle’”, many
interviewees responded “no” or “I don’t know”. An excellent graduate from an
American university might find it very difficult to find a job in China due to lack of
published papers or working experience.
Mr. Wu, a 30-year-old Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering, is a typically
unconfident student. He always wanted to return to China after graduation and paid
particular attention to those who had already been there. He told me other
“ seaweeds’” stories and said, “ I am often worried that once I return to China I will
be one member o f them. I can actually graduate this year, but I am waiting to
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36
publish another paper. I only have two papers published in two second-rate journals.
How can Ifin d a position in a prestigious Chinese university or research center? ” I
suggested to him that he should broaden his options. He sighed, “ Not because I
don’ t want to try my luck in the companies, but because I have been shut in this lab
for so many years that whenever I talk to people I will get nervous. The only thing I
can do is experiment after experiment. ” I asked him that since he did not like
communicating with people why he still wanted to be a professor at a Chinese
university. “You worked in the university before? You should know that a good
professor in China is not based on how well he teaches, but on how many papers he
publishes. That’ s the key issue. But now I only have two papers published... I should
publish more than three. Otherwise, it’ s very likely I will become “ seaweed’’ .
Different from those Chinese students in America who studied industriously but
were still unable to be qualified “sea turtles”, some students were truly unqualified.
An unneglectable phenomenon is that not all of the Chinese students in America
were cherishing the opportunity to broaden their knowledge abroad. Not all of them
worked as hard as one would imagine. What some of these students were pursuing
was not the development of their own capacities, but a degree to guarantee them a
better job.
There is a popular joke in China describing these students. When a Chinese student
returned to China from America, his parents excitedly asked him what knowledge or
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37
skills he had learned abroad. The student shook his head, saying, “nothing.” The
student’s father became very angry and upset. Suddenly he thought he ought to give
his child an out, “but you must have mastered a second language in addition to
Mandarin.” His child thought for a while then nodded his head, murmuring,
“Cantonese.”
Although expressed in a joke, this situation can vividly reflect some students’
dissipated life abroad. There is one interviewee saying he was very regretful about
his life in the United States. His father borrowed money to send him here for an
undergraduate study and had high expectations for him. He said if there was a
chance to start over, he would not miss any class and turn in every assignment on
time. Looking at his grade report with a lot of Cs, he was very afraid that if he
returned to China he would be beaten to death by his father. He said he would first
try his luck here since Americans do not value grades as much as Chinese do.
Since many Chinese students in America are scared of this phenomenon of
“seaweed” and have not yet figured out an ideal method to deal with this problem,
why don’t they just stay in America to try their luck? Why are they still hesitating?
The next chapter will discuss why they cannot stay and will provide some answers
to these questions.
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CHAPTER 4: CANNOT STAY: LOVE, FAMILY,
PATRIOTISM & CULTURE
If the bleak domestic job market is the primary reason discouraging Chinese
students in America from returning to China, the factors that make them hesitant
about staying are more varied and complicated. First of all, as in China, the job
market in the United States is not promising because of the nation’s economic
slump. No matter how capable a person is, without a green card, prospective
employees find it difficult to land an interview. If an individual cannot find a job
before his or her visa expires, he or she will have to return to China. By contrast,
things that make Chinese students in America hesitant about returning to China or
staying in America are more emotional factors. Among those factors, I will discuss
the three major ones that I discovered through my observations and interviews: love
and marriage, parents and country, and language and culture.
Love & Marriage
Most Chinese students in America are in their 20’s or early 30’s. Usually, people at
this age yeam for love more eagerly than any other age groups. Albert Einstein says,
“Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.” Chinese students in
America also highly value love and marriage. They seriously consider this factor
when they are making decisions about returning or staying. As reflected in my
survey, my sample students rated 3.60 out of 5 (between important to very
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39
important) in response to this sentence: “I do not want to be separated from my
girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband.”
Not every Chinese student is lucky enough to be with his or her girlfriend/wife or
boyfriend/husband in America. Many are separated from each other. Often, the
person in China waits for the person in America to come back, while the person in
America expects the person in China to come and support his/her career and life.
Sometimes, the choice to return or stay will determine if a romantic relationship or
marriage holds together or falls apart. If both individuals have designed a similar
blueprint for their future, or either side would like to compromise, love and
marriage will likely continue, however, if they have different views on where and
how to continue a romantic relationship or marriage and neither side can
compromise, long-term love or a marital future will be hard to achieve.
Ms Huang, a 28-year-old master’ s candidate who majored in Accounting is about to
graduate soon. Many o f her classmates have already found good jobs with
handsome salaries in America, however, she did not even attempt to fin d a job in
America. “ I promised my husband to get back on time. It was very nice that he
supported me to study overseas six months after our marriage. ” Her husband is a
general manager in a big joint-venture company in China. It would be impossible
fo r him to give up everything and fly to America to stay with his wife. “ I did think o f
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staying here since I do enjoy the life here, however, I even dare not mention my
thoughts to my husband. I f there should be someone to compromise, it must be me. ”
In China, a culture largely influenced by Confucianism, men are often regarded as
the pillar of the family who should take charge of everything. It would be
considered shameful to some degree if a man were to give up his career for the sake
of love or family. On the contrary, if a woman gives up her career for the sake of
love or family, she will be called a "xian q f \ which means virtuous wife. Since
Chinese women’s status in economic and social affairs has recently been widely
improved, however, sometimes it is not always the woman that sacrifices for the
sake of love or marriage.
Mr. Han is a 30-year-old recent graduate with a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science.
Due to his outstanding academic performance and previous work experience, he
easily found a job with the Microsoft Corporation, and is envied by many his
classmates. Ultimately, he gave up this opportunity and booked a ticket home to
China. Many o f his friends were curious about his decision, thinking there must be
another better offer waiting fo r him in China. He sighed, “ It is not a job that is
waiting fo r me in China, but my girlfriend. She has been waiting fo r me fo r FIVE
years. ” I asked him why he did not bring her to America. “ I want to. You know, I
have been talking about this fo r FIVE years. But she is such an independent,
conservative and willful girl that she thinks she enjoys her life in China and would
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not like to take any risks fo r me. ” Actually, his girlfriend was a high school
classmate o f mine. She is pretty and smart, with a very decent job in a top Chinese
university and a father with a powerful position in the Chinese government. I do
understand why she would not take risks to reunite with her boyfriend in America.
“ Sometimes, I hope she can betray me since she is so outstanding and is always
surrounded by wooers. Then Iwouldn ’ t have to return fo r her. But she is so loyal
and stubborn that she has contributed her most wonderful youth to waiting fo r me. I
have no options. ”
When I was in China, I knew a few girls in the same situation as Mr. Han’s
girlfriend. They were proud of their boyfriends/husbands in America, but few would
give up their good jobs and stable lives to fly over the Pacific Ocean to reunite with
their boyfriends/husbands in America. Although breakup stories about long-distance
love are heard frequently among Chinese students in America, many Chinese men
are still very responsible regarding their girlfriends/wives and will seriously
consider a serious romantic relationship as a factor when they are making a decision
about returning or staying.
A more interesting phenomenon I found was that most Chinese male students in
America treat their girlfriends/wives back in China very well and try every means to
maintain their passion and commitment in their relationship. On the contrary,
however, the girls are not often as serious. When I first came to the University of
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42
Southern California, I received TA (Teaching Assistant) training in the American
Language Institute. There were also six other males and five females from China in
my class. We later became very good friends and often confided to each other.
Among those 11 students, three males had girlfriends/wives in China and four
females had boyfriends in China. One and a half years later, we had a party at one
friend’s home. All the three males were still in stable relationships with their
girlfriends/wives in China. One had even brought his wife here as an F-2 student1 1 .
All the four females, on the other hand, had broken up with their boyfriends, and
three of the women even brought new boyfriends they had met in America to the
party.
To delve into this interesting phenomenon, I have included two items in my survey
to search for the gender differences regarding seeking love in America. The results
between men and women are shockingly different. 25 out of 39 males “strongly
agree” or “agree” to item 5 in section 3: “It is easier to find a good girlfriend/wife in
China.” However, only 8 out of 30 females “agree” to the sentence “It is easier to
find a good boyfriend/husband in China,” and no one “strongly agrees” to it.
Actually, throughout my interviews, I find male and female Chinese students in
America have absolutely different definitions of “good” as an adjective that comes
before “girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband”. In most male students’ minds, the
1 1 The F-2 dependent visa is a nonimmigrant visa which allows dependent spouses and children o f F-l
student visa holders to enter into the U.S.
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premise of “a good girlfriend/wife” is to be pretty or at least above the ordinary in
appearance. Additionally, she must also be caring and virtuous. The merits
possessed by most female Chinese students in America, such as independence,
knowledge and aggressiveness are considered less important or even
disadvantageous. In most females’ minds, however, a good “boyfriend/husband”
must be capable, considerate and responsible. The female students also claim tnat
Chinese male students in America are generally more outstanding than their
counterparts in China.
Mr. Yao, a 28-year-old PhD. candidate majoring in Mechanical Science, has been
in America for four years, but has always remained single. Last year in a get-
together with other Chinese students in Los Angeles, my friend Xiaoting fell in love
with him at first sight. She asked me to be a matchmaker fo r her, since I was a
neighbor o f Mr. Yao at that time. I happily agreed and talked to Mr. Yao,
pretending to be a professional matchmaker. He did not even remember there was
such a girl in the get-together and his first response was “ Is she pretty? ” I said no,
but still would not give up. I tried my utmost to describe her as a goddess. He finally
agreed to look at her photo. He glanced at it, laughed and mocked me, “ I suggest
you never be a matchmaker again. ” Later he confided to me that he thought
Chinese female students in America were generally ugly. “ Didn ’ t you notice that
most hardworking female students with high GPAs in China were ugly?
Unfortunately, many o f them went abroad and would never need to worry about
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seeking a husband, since there are overwhelmingly more males. ” He is right. Three
months later, I met Xiaoting on campus, accompanied by a nice Chinese guy. They
plan to get married soon.
Mr. Yao’s words were relatively sarcastic and extreme, but did reflect the voice of
some male students who are determined to seek pretty girlfriends/wives. In my
interviews, other male students criticized female students in America as being too
manly. “They bury themselves in the lab or papers, don’t know how to cook, seldom
wash clothes by hand, and always think they should be dominant. Sometimes, they
are even emotionally stronger and mentally smarter than men.” Chinese male
students seem to be in a dilemma between not being able to bear the lonely life here,
and still expecting to find a pretty girlfriend/wife. Some will likely have to alter
their taste of “good” and concede to their fate of marrying ordinary-looking Chinese
women in America. Some more determined guys ultimately did decide to return to
China to seek a true woman and “good” girlfriend/wife.
On the other side of the relationship “equation”, females do not seem to have this
problem. Frankly speaking, most of them cannot return to China since they have
overgrown the golden age of love and marriage in China, which is around 25 years
old. If they go back, they will find most males are younger and academically
inferior to them, which is considered unbearable among most Chinese. In China,
female Ph.D.s are considered as “the third sex”, neither a man nor a woman.
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According to a survey made by Yangzi newspaper in 2005, the love and marriage
market for females Ph.D. holders was much worse than that for high school
graduates. Therefore, in this sense, female Chinese students in America especially
love America since they enjoy more male (dating/relationship) options and never
need to worry about their age. Even if a Chinese woman is over 40 and few Chinese
males are willing to marry her, it is still very likely that she will be able to find an
American who cares less about age and appearance.
Another item about this issue in my survey is focused on those who already have a
girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband: “I can have a happier life with my
girlfriend/wife or boyfriend/husband in China (If you are not available).” 35 out of
69 responded to this item, among whom 21 responded “strongly agree” or “agree”;
9 responded “neutral”; 4 responded “disagree”; only one responded “strongly
disagree”. From the data, it is clear that many Chinese students are still missing their
love and lifestyle in China.
Here I want to share a story about an F-2 student in America. It is normal to see a
female F-2 student in America, but to be a male F-2 is still very rare and considered
to be embarrassing.
Mr. Zhao, a 34-year-old F2 student in America, was previously a software
developer in a very big Chinese electronics company. However, he loved his wife so
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much that he resigned from his position and became an F-2 student in America.
Since his w ife’ s department did not provide any scholarship fo r a master’ s student,
they had to contribute all their savings to the high tuition fees fo r her. In China, they
lived in a spacious condo in Shanghai; whereas in LA, they have had to squeeze into
a small room in a house where they share a bathroom and kitchen with 3 other
Chinese students. In China, they had a part-time housekeeper who took care o f their
housework and prepared dinner fo r them; in Los Angeles, since his wife is busy with
her studies, Mr. Zhao has to do all the housework and prepare every meal. During
the weekends, they often traveled and dined out while in China; in LA, since F-2
students are not allowed to work, Mr. Z hao’ s wife had to work in a Chinese
restaurant as a waitress to earn their living expenses and during that time, Mr.
Zhao would stay alone at home and miss their wonderful life in China. Mr. Zhao no
longer played a traditional male role in the family as he had before. His wife, after
a whole da y’ s backbreaking work would sometimes dump her dissatisfaction on her
husband. Sometimes, Mr. Zhao felt so humiliated that he would also be very bad-
tempered and fight back. He said, “We will return to China right after my wife
graduates. ” I asked what would happen i f his wife would prefer to stay. He thought
for a while and said, “Then there will only be one option: divorce. ”
In my few years in America I have witnessed and heard of many such sad endings
of romantic relationships and marriages: boyfriend/husband and girlfriend/wife
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make different decisions about returning or staying and they have to break up
because of these choices.
Before coming to America, most Chinese seem to have visualized it as a paradise of
endless entertainment according to what they had seen on TV and in the movies.
After they arrived here, however, they found out this paradise only belonged to
Americans, not to Chinese. Even a married couple with a very good relationship
complained about their life in America, “In China, there are always fun things to do
and close friends to get together. In America, most shops are closed at night.
American restaurants sell expensive and unsavory food. Friends are all too busy and
often reject your invitation of getting together.”
From the above discussion, it is obvious to see that, from the perspective of love or
marriage, most Chinese prefer to return to China. The only group that enjoys
remaining in America more is composed of single Chinese females in America.
However, after they find their Prince Charming and get married in America, they
will likely miss the Chinese food and lifestyle too.
Parents & Country
If the attraction of a prettier wife and a happier life back in China are irresistible
temptations to Chinese students in America, the expectation that they will take care
of their parents is a more profound responsibility and commitment. In my survey,
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the sample students rated the factor “I want to take care of my parents” 4.18 out of 5,
the top one among all the factors they will consider when making decisions about
returning or staying.
Since China adopted the one-child policy in 1979, many Chinese students in
America are the only child in their family. Most of their parents have retired and are
in their late 50’s or 60’s. They love their children and are worried about their single
child everyday even if he/she is already a mature man/woman: How is his/her study
in America? When will he/she get a girlfriend/boyfriend? Has he/she had
breakfast? ... .Similarly, Chinese students in America are also worried about their
parents: Dad is no longer the strong man who could carry a gas tank upstairs
without taking a breath; now even walking upstairs without holding anything will
make him tired and breathless. Mom is no longer the deft woman who could make
pretty clothes by hand; now she cannot even get the thread through the needle.
Every time I think of my parents I also feel very guilty. I often blame myself that as
a 27-year-old person, I still make them worry about me: When can I find a stable
job, when will I get married and when will I finally get back to China? When I
received my admission to a prestigious Ph.D. program at Stanford, I was half
excited and half worried. When I told my parents this good news, they also felt very
happy and proud for me. Then my mom suddenly asked, “That means we’ll be
separated for at least another five years?” I did not answer. I felt extremely guilty at
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that moment and swore to myself, “I must get back to China as soon as I graduate
with my Ph.D., and I will try my best to provide my parents with a very happy life
in their later years.”
Ms. Zhang, a 30-year-old doctoral student’ s story, was more lamentable. She used
to be an optimistic girl, but something very tragic happened to her that froze her
smile forever. Both o f her parents were almost 70 since they had her at a relatively
late age. Every Saturday, she would call her parents and report to them what
happened during that week. However, throughout February, no one answered the
phone. Then she called her relatives who told her that her parents had been out
traveling. She blamed her parents fo r not informing her earlier, but was very happy
that they were finally willing to spend money on traveling as she had always
suggested to them. One month later, her mother did answer the phone, but Ms.
Zhang sensed there was something wrong: her mother did not mention anything but
she was obviously unhappy. And every time she called, her mother told her that her
father happened to be out. Ms. Zhang was so suspicious that she finally called an
old friend who was a neighbor o f her parents. She was stunned to discover that her
father had passed away two months prior. She could not believe that was true; that
her mother covered this up for so long: how agonized and desperate her mother
must have been! But she still tried not to bother her daughter’ s studies and life in
America. Ms. Zhang packed up all her belongings and decided to give up her Ph.D.
degree, which required only one more year. Her friends and fellow students in
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America thought they would never see her again. However, one month later, she
flew back to America and seemed to have become another person, like a frozen
sculpture. She said her mom ordered her to fly back and finish her doctoral study.
Ms. Zhang’s story was very sad. Piety has been a tradition among Chinese people
for thousands of years. When Chinese children cannot take care of their elderly
parents they feel incredibly guilty. On the other hand, some Chinese students in
America have figured out another way to look after their parents: to bring them to
America. This method also proves not to be very efficient. For one thing, according
to the immigration law, parents can only stay in America for a maximum of 6
months for every one visa entry. Another challenge is that few of the parents seem
to enjoy life in America.
Mr. and Ms. Zhou brought Ms. Zhou’ s parents to America last month, but I heard
that they booked a ticket and planned to fly back to China a week after their arrival.
Ms. Zhou told me that even i f they brought her parents to America they still could
not take care o f them. On the contrary, her parents were always taking care o f her
and her husband. During the daytime, both Mr. and Ms. Zhou were out fo r work
and classes and their parents were busy cleaning the house and preparing meals. At
night, her parents had a habit o f walking around the streets after dinner in China.
However, in downtown LA, it was too dangerous for them to enjoy their evening
walks. Therefore, her parents stayed at home watching the only Asian channel (LA
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18), which only provided TV programs and dramas fo r young people. They confided
to me that they fe lt even lonelier here with their children than they had in China
where they could get together with friends and relatives and watch their favorite TV
dramas.
There is a saying in China that “Falling leaves settle on their roots.” Many old
Chinese people prefer to spend their later years in a familiar place. Additionally,
few elderly people can easily adapt themselves into a new lifestyle in America, let
alone even fewer can speak the language. Suppose you were suddenly thrown into
another country that spoke a different language and had a different culture, would
you enjoy the life there? Therefore, bringing parents to America seems not to be a
smart idea.
Undeniably, many overseas students decided not to stay in America because of their
attachment to family, friends, and familiar surroundings, but some made the
decision because of their patriotic sentiment. Chinese students who had lived abroad
for a long time could dress like a hippy, have hamburgers for breakfast lunch and
dinner, go by the name of David or Kate, and even alter their nationality, but they
could not change their consciousness of being Chinese. Being patriotic students is
ingrained in every Chinese’s early education and rooted in their brain and blood.
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In my survey, the sample students rated “I want to make contributions to my
motherland— China” 3.42 out of 5 (between important and very important), which
indicates that despite the influence of individualism and materialism in America,
they are still devoted to their homeland and will seriously consider this factor when
they are making decisions about returning or staying.
Here I have to mention the Scientist Yang Zhenning in America again, who returned
to China in his 80s and married a 28-year-old girl. Although some public media
called him a great patriot who eventually returned to China, most Chinese students
in America do not agree with that: only when you come back young and are able to
contribute a lot to China, are you considered to be a real patriot.
No matter if it is parent or country that calls Chinese students in America back, they
will very often feel their national affinity and are likely to return when they feel this
affinity outweighs other attractions in America.
Language & Culture
Another two factors that make them hesitant about staying are language and culture.
In the questionnaire, the sample students rated the sentence “I hope my language
abilities and expression can be fully understood by everybody” 3.33 out of 5, and
“cultural identity” 3.12 out of 5 (both important).
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Most Chinese students have been studying English for over 10 years and usually
have very high scores in language tests like GRE and TOEFL; however, what they
have learned in China was “dumb English1 2 ”. Whenever it comes to real
conversation or making a public speech, Chinese students will often be very
unconfident and nervous. In my survey, 41 out of 69 sample students responded
“strongly agree” or “agree” to the item “I am worried that language will be a barrier
when I am job-hunting in America.”
Mr. Wang, a 28-year-old Ph.D. student at USC, is often worried about his English.
He has a heavy accent. Every time when he talks to a company representative by
phone, he needs to repeat himself again and again to be understood. Once, he gave
up and handed the phone to his roommate, saying “Translate it fo r me. That guy is
deaf to my English. ’’ In about one year and a half, Mr. Wang will graduate with
both his M.S. degree in Electronic Engineering and Ph.D. degree in Physics. I know
he wants to fin d a job in America, but he is worried that language will be a serious
barrier. Sometimes, when he is frustrated because o f his poor English, he will say,
“ L et’ s go back to China, at least I can express my mind and be understood. ”
According to my observations, Chinese students in Los Angeles usually live
together, shop in Chinese supermarkets, dine in Chinese restaurants and hang out
with other Chinese. Some students who major in the sciences have been here for
1 2 “Dumb English” refers to the fact that English teaching in China has been focused too much on reading
and writing and ignored listening and speaking. Therefore, many Chinese students who have received higher
education, although being able to read and write very well in English, can hardly communicate in it.
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years but still cannot speak fluent English because they have little everyday
exposure to it.
Something more difficult for Chinese students in America to overcome is the culture.
In my survey, 49 out of 69 students responded “strongly agree” or “agree” to the
sentence “It will be difficult to assimilate into American culture.”
What is American culture? According to George Clack (1997), “American culture is
a Western culture, with influences from Europe, the Native American peoples,
African Americans and to a lesser extent Asian Americans and other young groups
of immigrants.” Although the United States has traditionally been known as a
melting pot, it is hard for many Chinese students to feel a strong cultural identity
with American society.
In classes in China, Chinese students were often taught to be modest and always
respect teachers; however, after they come to America, they find modesty is no
longer a virtue. In fact, the situation is just the opposite, meaning they should be
more confident and aggressive to be noticed by their professors. They are shocked
when American students interrupt the professor in a class and argue with him or her.
In China, even if the teacher makes an obvious mistake, students will prefer not to
point it out. More “headachy” to Chinese TAs in American colleges are those
undergraduate students who are never satisfied with their grades and often complain
that their TA is not a fair grader. When Chinese students get bad grades, they will
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only blame themselves, believing that they have not worked hard enough: what a
different culture!
Outside the classroom, Chinese students and American students are even more
different. American students are more active in social activities. They have parties
going on every weekend, meeting and making new friends. By contrast, most
Chinese students will shut themselves in the lab or bury themselves on the Internet.
During the weekends, some fun-seeking Chinese will play cards with the same
group; others will download movies and enjoy watching them. Once I asked one
Chinese student at the University of Southern California what was his biggest
entertainment during a week. His answer was to shop in a Chinese supermarket in
1 ^
the San Gabriel area and have dinner there.
A saying goes “Do as the Romans do”. Although Chinese students try to be
integrated into American society, they find it is almost impossible. “If I will live my
life as the women in the TV drama 'Sex and the C ity\ I would rather never be an
American,” a female Chinese student said in the interivew. Another student
mentioned in the interview that he had some American friends who were really nice,
but when he moved in to live with them, he could not adjust to their lifestyle. “It is
very hard to be a real American.” The failure to become real Americans does
overshadow some students and make them feel China is the genuine and eventual
1 3 San Gabriel, located in east LA, is called “new Chinatown” or “little Taibei” among Chinese in California.
There are many Chinese grocery stores and restaurants in this area.
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home for them regardless of their education in America or the potential job
opportunities in America.
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CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION
As discussed in the previous chapter, those factors of courtship and marriage, family
and patriotism, and language and culture restrain the Chinese students in America
from staying in America. However, if they decide to return to China it is likely that
they will become “seaweed”, waiting for jobs and treated with disfavor by their
peers. Originally landing in the United States with huge ambitions and glorious
dreams, Chinese students in America, years later, find themselves in an unenviable
position. They cannot stay in abroad yet find it difficult to return to China.
In addition to what I have discussed in the previous chapters, there are also other
factors that make them undecided about returning or staying that I have obtained
from personal observation and interviews.
For example, Chinese students in America enjoy freedom of speech and
comparatively better environment, but dislike the prevalent racial discrimination
that they feel they will likely encounter in their future jobs. They are faced with a
dilemma when considering their return to China where they enjoy Chinese food and
familiar social customs but are not eager to try to find their future in an increasingly
polluted environment that shows no signs of decreasing.
I have also discovered that the factors that influence the decision of Chinese
students in their decision to stay abroad or to return to China are not independent
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but that they are interrelated. It is unlikely that one will make his/her decision only
based on one factor. For example, a female student in America may want to fly back
and take care of her elderly parents in China where she cannot find a suitable
job. She may feel lonely in America since life is not as rich and colorful as it was in
China, but, as in her 30s, she cannot return since the marriage market for her in
China is not as promising as it is in America.
Ultimately, no matter what factors influence their decision and how hesitant they are,
they will have to make their decision eventually. One interviewee said to me that it
was so hard to make this decision that he might have to cast his fate to luck and toss
a coin, trusting in fate to make the choice for him.
To help the Chinese students in America make a more clear and certain decision on
whether to stay abroad or to return to China I have summarized my research on how
to make decisions as follows:
First of all, this advice is given to those who have just arrived in America or who
plan to be here soon: enhance your capacities! The purpose for overseas education is
not solely to acquire a foreign degree for job-hunting, but to develop and perfect
oneself by making them more well-rounded and worldly. True gold does not fear
fire. If you can prove you are far more competent than the other competitors in the
job market, how could you possibly ever become “seaweed”?
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Secondly, to those who are about to make this decision, you should make the best
choice depending on your own situation and figure out whether to stay in America
or to return to China will work out better for you. A sample question you can start
from to ask yourself is: In which job market, American or China, is your academic
major more in demand?
I know a friend majoring in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other
Languages) who wanted to stay early on but could not find a matching job with her
major. She finally became a waitress in a Chinese restaurant. If she had considered
all her options perhaps she would have decided to return to China, where she might
have become an excellent English teacher in a Chinese university.
For the students with the majors such as MBA or engineering, which are supposed
to be hot in China but actually do not promise the returned students good jobs, they
should keep in mind that being only a great theorist still can not promise them good
jobs. As a strong candidate in the current domestic job market, you should not only
possess the advanced western theories, but also have the ability to translate these
theories into practical skills. The best way to strengthen your practical skills, in
addition to participating in more research practices in your university, is to gain
some working experience. A degree from a prestigious school is a good start, but it
is not complete if not supplemented by relevant job experience, preferably from an
intemationally-renowned company.
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If you can stay in the foreign country after graduation, and then work there for two
or three years, such experiences will undoubtedly position you well for job-hunting
when you return to China. At the same time, try to maintain good relationships with
your old friends back in China. Many overseas Chinese students never contact their
previous classmates, friends or colleagues after leaving China. It is likely, however,
that these people might be your most influential supporters when you return to
China. A Christmas greeting to your old friends might bring about a good
recommendation to a decent job years later.
As for a single female student in her 30’s or even older, it would be wise that she
first find a husband in America and return to China with him. Believe it or not, age
is a problem in the Chinese marriage market, especially for females.
Under the pressure of parents and public opinion in China, most Chinese males will
get married before 30. Even for those older single males, they would rather marry
younger and prettier girls than older and more sophisticated ones. In the U.S. where
freedom and true love are more emphasized, and the percentage of male Chinese
students largely outweighs that of females, it is very hopeful that a female over 30
can still find her Prince Charming for marriage and family.
Thirdly, if the pros and cons of your situation are roughly in balance you should
make this decision according to your own priorities and preferences. One
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interviewee mentioned, find out what you care most about and start from there. If
you cannot live a happy life without your parents even though you possess a highly-
paid job in America, why not return, taking care of your parents and trying your
luck in China?
On the other hand, if you come to the U.S. and decide to stay than it would be
senseless to calculate how you would go about planning your career in China and
how you would deal with domestic employment dynamics.
Among all the factors such as job, parents, love, money and social status, you
should deliberately weigh each factor and figure out which one(s) you value most
and which one(s) you can sacrifice for others. The decision to stay or return will be
more obvious and easier when you realize which factor(s) you value most in your
pursuit of a happy and meaningful life.
Finally, no matter what decision you have made, you should have enough courage
to settle down and make endeavors to realize your dream. Jealousy and complaints
can only waste your time and tarnish your ambition. One interviewee who had just
found a job in an American software company in San Jose complained that his
previous high school classmate who did not even receive a college education
suddenly became a millionaire in China as a result of getting involved in the
petroleum industry. He said, “He often copied my homework and failed exams in
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high school, but now he has had two luxury houses and a Mercedes, but I am still
sharing an apartment with others and driving a second-hand Toyota.” The fact is
that not everyone has the fortune to be a millionaire overnight. There can be only so
many lucky ones- the rest of us must work diligently for our rewards. After making
your decision, the most important thing is to make one’s best efforts rather than to
waste time complaining.
Allow me to conclude with the prediction that in the new millennium, with the
further development of international transportation, cultural assimilation and
globalization, perhaps one day in the near future, Chinese students in America will
no longer be in a dilemma of staying or returning, but view this only as working and
living in different areas. They will work in one area of the “global village” and can
easily transfer to other areas where they can bring their capacity into full play and
make more contributions. Time alone will tell.
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Asset Metadata

Creator Xu, Xiaoqiu (author)

Core Title The dilemma of Chinese students in America: To return or stay?

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program East Asian Area Studies

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Education, Social Sciences,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c16-55229

Unique identifier UC11338357

Identifier 1438410.pdf (filename),usctheses-c16-55229 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier 1438410.pdf

Dmrecord 55229

Document Type Thesis

Rights Xu, Xiaoqiu

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA