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I'm of Chinese ethnicity but been in the West since birth and I've seen this kind of behaviour before even among friends, but I dislike the author's constant me

I'm of Chinese ethnicity but been in the West since birth and I've seen this kind of behaviour before even among friends, but I dislike the author's constant mention of the Chinese Communist Party as why Chinese kids isolate themselves, it's not a causal relationship. Just because Trump is president of America doesn't mean all Americans are against immigration. In the end, these are just kids who feel a bit left out and different.

sevensor 9y ago
What surprised me about the article was that it didn't try to connect the Communist influence to the ostentatious display of wealth. Surely there's some cognitive dissonance? How does the Party feel about the message these kids are sending with their luxury vehicles?
- yorwba 9y ago
  The "Communist" party's name is just a relic from the early days when they had Soviet support. China has a state-capitalist economy now, high ranking party officials are among the wealthiest Chinese. Those rich kids driving luxury cars in the US would be driving the same brands in China; the ruling class doesn't have much of a sense of modesty that would speak against flaunting their wealth in this way.
- microcolonel 9y ago
  The message they're sending to Americans? Seems like exactly the message they'd want to send. They control China, so nobody there needs to see the same messaging there that they do in America; and that's even with them making roughly the same displays in China.
microcolonel 9y ago
> I'm of Chinese ethnicity but been in the West since birth It's not about ethnicity, it's about culture. People who have grown up in China (in my experience) have a completely different mindset. Speaking about something as simple as freedom of speech, or the concept of citizenship through naturalization, or the idea that a poor nation (America) prospers with liberty rather than having to grow before they can have it (the actual excuse the party gives for what we consider tyranny), could be difficult with some people fresh out of China. I have had long conversations with people who have grown up in China about things like The Party silencing (often imprisoning) dissenters, and controlling Chinese nationals even when they are abroad; typically they will justify the actions of The Party by saying that the Chinese people need to be controlled right now because they're not rich/developed enough yet, and that liberty will come later. When I say that the United States started with squalor and deliberate liberty, then developed into a nation which is stronger than China with a fraction of the population, it falls on deaf ears.
- hasenj 9y ago
  These ideas seem too be unique to North America and Western Europe.
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > It's not about ethnicity, it's about culture. Ethnicity is culture. (That is, ethnicity is the state of belonging to a group with a shared cultural identity.)
- forkLding 9y ago
  I understand what you mean but why patronise a group of kids who are trying to get a future and look for a way out, this was about kids trying to get an education in USA who are isolated and was not a political debate about developmental states. This piece almost comes off as critical of children coming to the States to study and culture is not a black and white issue either.
wnscooke 9y ago
You need to realize that none of them leave without state permission and all need to report regularly while they are away. They are told to not mingle and at least one of their number will send reports back to their home school who is following the rules and who is breaking away. Can't give citations because there are real consequences for them if names start getting out.
wnscooke 9y ago
You need to realize that none of them leave without state permission and all need to report regularly while they are away. They are told to not mingle and at least one of their number will send reports back to their home school who is following the rules and who is breaking away. Can't give citations because there are real consequences for them if names start getting out.

sevensor 9y ago

What surprised me about the article was that it didn't try to connect the Communist influence to the ostentatious display of wealth. Surely there's some cognitive dissonance? How does the Party feel about the message these kids are sending with their luxury vehicles?

yorwba 9y ago
The "Communist" party's name is just a relic from the early days when they had Soviet support. China has a state-capitalist economy now, high ranking party officials are among the wealthiest Chinese. Those rich kids driving luxury cars in the US would be driving the same brands in China; the ruling class doesn't have much of a sense of modesty that would speak against flaunting their wealth in this way.
microcolonel 9y ago
The message they're sending to Americans? Seems like exactly the message they'd want to send. They control China, so nobody there needs to see the same messaging there that they do in America; and that's even with them making roughly the same displays in China.

microcolonel 9y ago

> I'm of Chinese ethnicity but been in the West since birth It's not about ethnicity, it's about culture. People who have grown up in China (in my experience) have a completely different mindset. Speaking about something as simple as freedom of speech, or the concept of citizenship through naturalization, or the idea that a poor nation (America) prospers with liberty rather than having to grow before they can have it (the actual excuse the party gives for what we consider tyranny), could be difficult with some people fresh out of China. I have had long conversations with people who have grown up in China about things like The Party silencing (often imprisoning) dissenters, and controlling Chinese nationals even when they are abroad; typically they will justify the actions of The Party by saying that the Chinese people need to be controlled right now because they're not rich/developed enough yet, and that liberty will come later. When I say that the United States started with squalor and deliberate liberty, then developed into a nation which is stronger than China with a fraction of the population, it falls on deaf ears.

hasenj 9y ago
These ideas seem too be unique to North America and Western Europe.
dragonwriter 9y ago
> It's not about ethnicity, it's about culture. Ethnicity is culture. (That is, ethnicity is the state of belonging to a group with a shared cultural identity.)
forkLding 9y ago
I understand what you mean but why patronise a group of kids who are trying to get a future and look for a way out, this was about kids trying to get an education in USA who are isolated and was not a political debate about developmental states. This piece almost comes off as critical of children coming to the States to study and culture is not a black and white issue either.

wnscooke 9y ago

You need to realize that none of them leave without state permission and all need to report regularly while they are away. They are told to not mingle and at least one of their number will send reports back to their home school who is following the rules and who is breaking away. Can't give citations because there are real consequences for them if names start getting out.

wnscooke 9y ago