"Parachute Kids" in Southern California: The Educational Experience of Chinese Children in Transnational Families

Abstract

"Parachute kids " are a highly select group of foreign students who have come to the United States to seek a better education in American elementary or high schools. Upon arrival in America, these children were typically between ages 8 and 17; many were admitted on F-i student visas; some were on B-2 visitor visas but later adjusted to F-i student visas. To the extent that they are in their preteens or teens in search of self-identities, however, the parachute kids and other similarly situated immigrant children are subject to similar demands and pressures imposed on them by their families, their American peers, and the host society. This article discusses how parachute kids as a social group have come about and provides an analysis of the risks inherent in transnational families. In an attempt to sort out possible factors influencing the educational experience of parachute kids, the article also seeks to highlight policy implications for educating America's new second generation.