Eric's Beijing Diary

Read an interesting essay on NPR by a young Chinese American. She is a fourteen-year-old immigrant, who grew up in China, and now lives in the US. I would encourage you to read and/or listen to this essay. I think this young lady expresses well some of the influences that come to bear on Chinese students who are put forward by their families as the best hope for the families future. I'm not sure that all students are quite as compulsive as her essay implies--I have students who are studious, and others who are not quite so studious. But generally speaking, Chinese students are geared toward study as the pathway to success and hope. I don't want to say too much more, because I think I should let the young lady speak. But she does say something a bit perplexing :

Here in America, there is almost a pressure to follow your dreams. I don't want any more dreams -- dreams are illusions. And it's too late for me to work toward another future, to let the foundations I have built go to ruins.

I would be interested to hear what any of you have to say about that statement.