<p>Please do. </p>
<p>My mother’s biggest fear is that I stop being Chinese. That sounds funny but my mother will cry if you talk to her about it. Most Chinese who move to America stay here because there are many opportunities to succeed. Even though China has improved a lot in the last 10 or so years, most people in China will never be rich no matter how hard they work because they do not have the right connections. In America that is less true. Mnay Chinese work very hard and make good livings. That’s all they want and they are very happy to live here. However, one of the downsides of living here is that your kids become less Chinese. Many of my friends can understand Chinese but they can’t speak it. It’s funny to watch them talk with their parents. Their parents will speak to them in Chinese and the kids will respond in English. Anyway, after two or three generations in America, Chinese will still look Chinese but they are no more Chinese than you are. They are yellow Americans. To many tradiitional Chinese, this is not good because we have so much pride in our traditional ways. I will say one more thing. I think Chinese girls are more likely to adopt American culture than Chinese boys. In China, boys are still dominant, so why would they want to change? Each time I go back to China on vacation I realize how much I have changed. American women are so strong and vocal. Chinese women are still more quiet and reserved. I think this is why you see many Chinese girls dating and marrying non-Chinese boys, while Chinese boys tend to date and marry Chinese girls. It’s not scientific, just my hunch. </p>
<p>The same is true in China. The American culture (hip hop, NBA, iPods, internet, Hollywood, etc.) is so, so powerful, especially for young people. In China, the most important thing is for kids to respect their elders. I may be wrong, but that seems less true in American culture. In America, young people are louder and want to be strong individuals. Chinese children are supposed to be humble, soft-spoken, and not seek individual attention. So there are big differences. People in China worry that their children will accept American ways and forget their native traditions. Because America has so many cultures bleeding into one, that isn’t a big fear for American parents, but in China there is only one culture, so it is a big fear. Most Chinese kids wear two hats. They act American with their friends and then revert to traditional ways when they are at home. </p>
<p>I am very impressed that your daughter is interested in Chinese. Most Chinese children begin learning English at a very young age. The idea that an English-speaking student would be interested in learning our language is very flattering.</p>