He can now. Calvin is one of 150 students enrolled at the new Chinese Heritage School of New Jersey, formed by Asian parents worried that their children were losing sight of their culture. It's important for them to know our heritage and who they are. We understand American culture is very important to our kids, but we want them to understand where their parents and grandparents came from.
Many parents volunteer time to teach or perform other jobs at the school.
There are nearly 20 such schools around New Jersey, said the school's principal, Cornwell Mah. Across the country, a 1996 survey by a Chinese education group found 647 schools in 47 states. Most teach in Mandarin, the predominant dialect of mainland China. The South Brunswick school teaches mainly in Cantonese, the predominant dialect in Hong Kong, where many of its students' parents are from. Josephine Yan teaches traditional Chinese folk dance to girls ages 3 to 12.