It is a common to observe that immigrants from the Old World usually have little attachment with their ancestral countries. This may be partially due to the difficult to get back to Europe hundred years ago. But for new immigrants they still behave the same. The people are more easily mixed with Americans and very few complaints about "main stream" and how great their Italian, or German, or Swedish culture is and how to keep and further develop it. More astonishing, to most Chinese, is that you find very few Italian, or German schools for the immigrant children.

Why are Chinese so different?

My observation is that the most Chinese immigrants are from poor families in China. Most are from countryside and low income families. These people had little contact with the outside world physically, and more crucially culturally and intellectually. There is no high level communion between them and the New World. Like scared little cats, they are brought into a huge stage that has evolved through hundreds of years of culture and intellectual and social revolution that has never seen in the entire Chinese history!

Most of these Chinese are quickly get into technical or professional work, including washing dishes in Chinese restaurant and opening some business but dealing mainly with Chinese. They have little experience with the culture and intellectual society of the New World.

At the same time, they become more strong in believing in what make them what they are - very few Chinese can make to the west. Only the "best" could do. In their mind there are must be some thing good inside of them to help them to achieve this wonder. The answer they found, although unfortunately, is "中国文化".

I am sure that most Chinese could not tell you exactly what is 中国文化 if you ask them. One reason is that most of these people are not familiar with 中国文化 even when they are in China. Being able to speak Chinese does not automatically credit you as knowing 中国文化, nor is eating Chinese food.

What is 中国文化?