Cultural Differences Between China And The United States

One common question that occurs in the world with parenting, is how do Chinese children almost always succeed. Well the answer definitely does not lie within the stereotypical assumption of an average Chinese child’s life consisting of ping pong, karate, and casually playing the piano. In contrast to belief, a leisurely structured childhood is the exact opposite of what most Chinese children endure during the early stages of their life. Demanding success, Chinese parents expect nothing but excellence from the time you exit the womb. Chinese parents enforce strict rules and guidelines for their children to follow, and do not shy away in their punctuality whatsoever.

I think one of the culture differences between China and U.S is privacy. Chinese people have a different view of privacy than Americans. They would likely to ask other people’s age, income, marital status, jobs and so on. Even though they barely meet each other, but they will start conversations talking about everything related to their background. However, Americans will think this is rude and annoying. Questions related to those are too much privacy. But in China this seems very normal. So they have a better idea about this person and know much about their background. And a lot of time I think Chinese care about someone’s background.

Believe it or not, but American and Chinese culture do have something’s in common. They see eye-to-eye on some aspects. Like providing for their children “Parents work together for the well-being of their children” [Example from Article]. It is true that parents do the best they can to work towards a better financial life for their kids. That’s why many Chinese parents come over to the states, so that they can provide a better life, and a better education. They would also go to great lengths for their children no matter what the cause “Parents will risk their life for their children” [Example from Article]. Any parent would risk their life for their children no matter what ethnicity, or cultural aspect! There is no bond like a parent and their child.

China and America are both diverse and have a fascinating history. American and Chinese cultures both have similarities. For example, both cultures prefer to dine with family and friends. Dining with loved ones brings joy to both American and Chinese society. Another similarity is that American and chinese cultures tend to engage in conversations while eating. They talk during meals to socialize and talk about the events that happened during their day. Both countries also prefer to have a wide variety of food. Chinese and American cultures tend to do this so that you can have a lot to choose from. These two cultures differ in etiquette and cuisine.

Also, she mentions that Chinese mothers spend ten times longer working with their kids’ academic activities in comparison to Western mothers that prefer to spend more time with their kids on extra curricular activities. In contrast, Western mothers believe that academic success should not be stressed and should not be the only concern for their kids. Three differences are mentioned that cause this. The first difference is stated that Chinese

This literature review will focus on the Chinese/western values and how they play into everyday life such as academic performance and social interactions.

Each country has its own kind of education, and education always plays an important role in affecting students’ life and study on many aspects. Having received ten years of education in China and two years of education in the U.S. I would like to compare and contrast a few significant aspects of these two different kinds of educations. Knowing that no two education systems are the same, the differences between American education and Chinese education allow countries to take the essence and discard the dross through learning from each other so as to improve their own current education systems.

This is an immense amount of Chinese international student, and the reason is because of the parent’s personal decisions. William Bennet, a CNN reporter, interviewed many rural Chinese parents about the value of America Education and noticed three differences. First, Chinese youth have high standards and high expectations which is norm in China (Bennet). Second, Chinese people believe American Universities are the “Beacons of freedom, individualism and self- improvements” (Bennet). Chinese people also tend to think universities are emblems of the highest achievement (Bennet). Third, Chinese parents are willing to sacrifice almost anything for their child’s education (Bennet). These three differences explain how important education is to the Chinese and showed how these parents are emphasizing that education is the key to a successful life. These three, are all motives of sending their child to America to study, even meaning

The USA and China are one of the largest countries in the world with more than 9.3 million square meters. There are a lot of interesting parallels between China and America. Both China and America emphasize the importance of their national identity and values. Moreover, they both have a strong military presence and the people in these two countries have a great respect for their militaries. However, when I moved from China to America, there are apparent changes in my education before going to college and after going to college, such as the size of class, students’ study stress and teaching styles.

The American students and parents both did not want to hear about communism and were nervous about the lack of political discussion in the classroom. On the other hand, the Chinese teachers did not want to discuss politics because they felt that it would overshadow other aspects of China. As one teacher stated, “politics isn’t our whole life” (336). Instead, they shared personal experiences and stories about living in China, doing activities such as “…living in modern apartment complexes, dining in international chain restaurants, and wearing

Culture is best described as a common set of core values, traditions, and rituals that a specific group of people share. With that being said, as more and more cultures begin to blend together and migration becomes a larger part of modern life, new cultures are always forming and being adopted. Even though cultures are always changing, they can still be categorized according to two types of culture. The first type of culture is ?high? culture, which refers to a more aesthetic and advanced culture such as that of the Chinese.[endnoteRef:1] ?High? culture is usually characterized by refined and complex values, whereas the second type of dynamic culture, ?low? culture, is sometimes seen as less refined and aesthetic.[endnoteRef:2] In addition, ?low? culture refers to the general life and traditions in countries such as the United States.[endnoteRef:3] Not only are Chinese and American Culture defined in two distinct ways, but they also have completely different views on family, commitment, competitiveness, and much more. With that being said, Amy Tan?s esteemed novel ?The Joy Luck Club,? not only chronicles the struggles of melding traditional American and Chinese views, it also shows how the cultural differences that result lead to miscommunication and separation between the daughters and their mothers. [1: Joel Dubois, ?The Essential Element of Culture,? Arts and Ideas of Asia: Medieval and Modern, 2009,

According to Amy Chua there are many rules that Chinese parents have in their household that Western parents do not. For example, Chua’s children were never allowed to “attend a sleepover, have a playdate, be in a school play, complain about not being in a school play, watch TV or play computer games, choose their own extracurricular activities, get any grade less than an A, not be the top student in all classes except gym and drama, play any instrument other than the piano or violin, not play the piano or violin.” (305) Chua says that when Westerner parents think they are being strict it is not even close to the severity of Chinese parents. Chinese parents allegedly also harp on the importance of academic perfection, and if success is not shown, then it is a sign of bad parenting. Westerner parents apparently do not lay as much significance on education because they think it is not healthy to emphasize the importance of it, while Chinese parents spend a great deal more time exercising educational activities with their kids.

Societies in general, whether it is in traditional china or modern america, all have an order. Other countries, such as america, do not have prominent “ways of life” or “rights and wrongs”. Instead, there is a vague hint at what beauty and other “good” things are. America is a melting pot; there are so many cultures and religions that dictate certain “ways of life.” We subconsciously mix them together to form personal values. But, nonetheless, there is still an order. In every single country, there is a certain type of person that society wants everyone to be. China has a culture (along with other attributes) that is prominent and followed throughout the country, while America’s isn’t as finite and nationally practiced. You cannot generalize

As I recently wrote my autobiography, I was able to reflect upon and gain a better understanding of my life and the influences that shaped my character and beliefs. I then composed a biography of an individual from the Chinese culture named Faith. Writing her story has given me the opportunity to gain a great deal of insight into the influences her different culture has had on her development. There are kindred attributes and stark differences when comparing our two extremely diverse cultures. Nonetheless, I am convinced it is within the differences that subsist between any cultures that the greatest value and benefit to society will be realized. A comparison of our ethnicity, culture, gender, and socioeconomic status is listed below along with an explanation of the benefits that are achieved when our cultures interact, learn, and work together.

Chinese and American students are vastly different however they do have some commonalities. Despite the fact that Chinese students face a much more demanding education system, and less choice within their school, they do share common social interests with American students.