Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.

Chinese-Americans do better in school than many of their peers from other ethnic backgrounds. Except for maybe Indian-Americans.

Where I live in Silicon Valley, many non-Chinese-Americans are moving out of some local cities because they are not able to keep up with the Chinese-American students they go to school with.

Instead of trying harder. They leave.

What are some of the reasons Chinese-Americans do better than their peers do in school.

Chinese-American students:

1. Work harder

2. Are more disciplined

3. Have a stronger commitment

4. Have a stronger work ethic

5. Choose academics to distinguish themselves

6. Have parents who value higher education more than their peers

7. Demand performance in education more than their peers (parents)

8. Have parents who will sacrifice for their kids education

9. Think education is the path to success

10. Have a strong family support system

11. Can escape family chores because they have to study

12. Don’t need to do part-time jobs because they have to study

13. Are told to study hard from a very early age.

14. Fear failure in education

15. Thrive at competition with their studies

16. Take pride in bringing more Asians to the top of academia

Question: Do Chinese-American parents push their children too hard?

Is education given too much emphasis?

I am just getting warmed up going to school.

Today I had to take words to kindergarten that started with a short letter I.

Mommy and daddy gave me 4 words.

Here is an invoice to my Indian customers who have ordered some indigo ink.

Should I be worried?

Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.