Life over there

Many Taiwanese people have chosen to emigrate to the US to seek a better life for themselves and for their children. But the American dream is not always as glamorous as it looks.

According to the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission (OCAC), about 166,000 Taiwanese people relocated to the US in the 1990s alone. As many as 529,000 Taiwanese people reside there at present. Many of them chose to do so in order to provide their children with a better education.

Take the Wang (王) family in Los Angeles for example. The three children -- Diana, 13, Alinda, 12, and Jonathan, 9 -- have a colorful life in the California's biggest city.

"I believe the education system in the US is not only liberal but also consistent compared to that in Taiwan. So my kids can choose to do what they like and give full play to their talent," said their mother Shirley Shen (沈萸慶), adding that the frequent changes in Taiwan's education policy and curriculum in recent years may seriously damage children's learning potential.

The three children are constantly busy with school and extra-curricular talent classes. They all attend cram schools for three hours of extra Chinese, English, and Mathematics classes during the weekdays to maintain their outstanding academic performance.

"Unlike most traditional Taiwanese parents, we do not force our kids to attend cram schools or talent classes, except for their Chinese courses," said their father Steve Wang (王希賢).

"My kids can often yield twice the result with half the effort, because they are taking these classes out of their own interests."

The Wang family pays more than US$750 (about NT$23,250) per month for the three children's extra classes and activities. But the parents think that it is an investment worth making.

Not always so rosy

But living abroad can also be a bittersweet experience sometimes, as parents and their children have to overcome numerous difficulties. The major problems that affect young emigrants the most are the cultural and linguistic barriers.

Since the three children of the Wangs were born in the US, they all speak English fluently and do not have problems with the language. They also speak Mandarin well because they are told to speak only Chinese to their parents and grandmother at home.

The experience of the children of Wang's younger brother, whose family moved to Los Angeles from Hsinchu seven years ago, was another storu. They had to face not only various cultural but also language challenges.

The two boys -- Ray, 15, and Roy, 14 -- admitted that it was tough for them to communicate with other schoolmates at the beginning, and they did not really understand what their teachers said in the first six months or so.

"I was afraid to talk to others, and seldom spoke up in the first two or three months after I entered the school," said Ray.

"There are only a few Asian students in the school. Many are Mexican and Russian. We have very different backgrounds and ideas, as well as communication problems," his brother Roy said.

The boys said they were frustrated at first, because the pressure from school was huge. Later, things improved as they picked up the language. They also said that they prefer to live in the US now, and have less homework compared to their experience in Taiwan.

Keeping an identity

For the so-called "little overseas students" (小留學生), also known as "parachute kids," who were sent by their parents to study abroad when they were young, the situation can be much worse. Since most of them grow up without parental supervision, it is easy for them to get on the wrong track.