Overseas Chinese Web Guide

Not too long ago, selecting a Chinese school that was appropriate for your child was much simpler. You sent them to the school closest to your home. Now, with the growing influx of Chinese immigrants, some parents may find several different schools in their neighborhood to choose from. Here are some important factors to consider when selecting a school:

• Dialect. Most schools offer instruction in either Mandarin or Cantonese, with some schools offering instruction in both. If you speak Mandarin at home, you will be more readily able to assist and reinforce your child’s language lessons if they were also learning Mandarin. The same is true if you speak Cantonese and your child is attending Cantonese classes. Cantonese is spoken in Hong Kong and Guangdong (Canton), while Mandarin is spoken in the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan.
• Phonetics. Mandarin is usually taught in either Pinyin (拼音) or Zhuyin (注音符號), which is also known as BoPoMoFo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). These two systems of Chinese phonetics associate a particular sound with a symbol. For example, the b sound in Mandarin is represented by a “b” in Pinyin and a “ㄅ” in Zhuyin. Pinyin is the current system of romanization used in the People’s Republic of China, and is also the standard used by the United States as well as the United Nations.
• Characters. Chinese characters may either be written in the simplified style (简体) or the traditional style (繁体). The simplified style is used in the People’s Republic of China, while the traditional style is used in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
• SAT II - Chinese. Some Chinese schools offer specific preparation for the SAT II - Chinese with Listening examination. This high school-level examination tests reading and listening comprehension, as well as sentence completion. The listening portions are spoken in Mandarin Chinese, while the reading passages are in both traditional and simplifed Chinese. The sentence completion portion is administered in traditional and simplified Chinese, as well as Pinyin and BoPoMoFo.

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California

• Berryessa Chinese School Provides Cantonese and Mandarin language classes in North San Jose (Berryessa), CA.
• International School of the Peninsula A Chinese language immersion day school in Palo Alto, CA.
• Los Angeles Chinese Learning Center Provides Chinese language classes in Los Angeles and Orange County.
• New Concept Chinese School Provides Mandarin classes in Fremont and San Jose, CA.
• Santa Barbara Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Santa Barbara, CA.
• Thousand Oaks Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Thousand Oaks, CA.
• Yellow River Chinese School Provides Mandarin classes in Fremont, CA.

Colorado

• Bohua Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Boulder, CO.

Connecticut

• Chinese Language School of Connecticut Provides Mandarin classes in Riverside, CT.

Maryland

• Hope Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Bethesda, College Park, Fairfax, Germantown and Rockville, MD as well as Herndon, VA.
• Potomac Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Potomac, MD.

Michigan

• American Chinese School of Greater Detroit
• Ann Hua Chinese School Provides Chinse language classes in Ann Arbor, MI.
• Canton Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Plymouth, MI.
• Grand Rapids Chinese Language School Provides Chinese language classes in Grand Rapids, MI.
• Michigan New Century Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Livonia, MI.
• Southern Michigan Chinese School Provides Mandarin classes in Troy, MI.

New Jersey

• EverBright Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Edison, NJ.
• Huaxia Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Bloomfield, Hillsboro, Fort Lee, Boonton, Marlboro, Edison and Plainsboro, NJ.
• YingHua Language School Provides Mandarin classes in Lawrenceville, NJ.

New York

• Albany Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Latham, NY.
• Chinese Institute Provides Mandarin and Cantonese classes in New York, NY.
• Chinese School of Southern Westchester Provides Mandarin classes in Scarsdale, NY.
• Dix Hills Chinese Cultural Association Provides Chinese language classes in Dix Hills, NY.
• Huaxia Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Wappingers Falls and Westchester, NY.
• Nortnern Westchester Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Somers, NY.

Oregon

• Jiao Ying Chinese Culture & Art School Provides Mandarin classes in Portland, OR.
• Springleaf Chinese School Provides Chinese classes in Portland, OR.

Pennsylvania

• Huaxia Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Bethlehem, PA.

Texas

• Austin Great Wall Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Austin, TX.
• Bodhi Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Houston, TX.

Virginia

• Hope Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Bethesda, College Park, Fairfax, Germantown and Rockville, MD as well as Herndon, VA.
• Tidewater Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Norfolk, VA.

Washington

• Northwest Chinese School Provides Mandarin classes using simplified Chinese and pinyin in Kirkland and Seattle, WA.
• Sammamish Chinese Academy Provides Mandarin classes in Sammamish, WA.

Washington DC

• Hope Chinese School Provides Chinese language classes in Bethesda, College Park, Fairfax, Germantown and Rockville, MD as well as Herndon, VA.

Canada

• Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver Provides Mandarin and Cantonese language classes in Vancouver, Burnaby and Coquitlam.

Associations

• Association of Northern California Chinese Schools Provides a directory of member schools in Northern California.
• Chinese School Association in the United States Provides a directory of member schools in the United States.
• Southern California Council of Chinese Schools Provides a directory of member schools in Southern California.

When the first Chinese arrived in America, they were literally searching for gold. Today, the goal is no different. However, instead of gold, the rush is for cash, real estate, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. With new financial options available to the modern Chinese, the age old challenge remains. So long as you have a piece of gold in one hand, someone will try to charm, sucker or connive it away from you.

Learn how to protect what you earn, then learn how to grow and invest it. If you do use credit cards, learn how to spot the pitfalls of different accounts. Find credit cards that charge you low interest rates and fees if you maintain a revolving balance. And, while you are using your credit card, why not find one that either pays you money back or offers frequent flyer miles you can use for your next trip.

If you invest in stocks or mutual funds, study the different investment options available to you. Learn how to reduce your investment costs and, if you have an investment advisor, understand how his interest may conflict with yours. Only then can your investments grow instead of being anchored down by constant, heavy fees whether or not your investments are doing well.

While the dot.com meltdown may have sobered up investor expectations as well as lightened up brokerage account balances, the interest in stocks, bonds and mutual funds remain. However, the one thing that has not changed is determining what the best approach is to investing. Should an investor just buy an index fund? Or, would selecting individual stocks or offer a more profitable path?

To evaluate individual stocks, you can read Value Line at your local library. Or, your brokerage might offer complimentary Standard and Poor’s Stock Reports. You may also consider one of the many investment newsletters available. Regardless of which approach you take, and you don’t have to abide by one approach only, track your results.

Quicken is an outstanding product that helps you manage your personal finances. One outstanding feature is the ability to group your stocks into goals. Instead of grouping stocks by growth or income, you can set up some new categories such as where you obtained your stock tip. If the tip came from a television program, a web site, a friend or through your own research, assign that stock to the source of the tip. Then, when you view your portfolio by goals, you can see whether you are a better stock picker than your favorite financial program or the writers of whichever newsletter you subscribe to.

More Resources

• Fool.com Offers stock market news, investor advice, and subscription newsletters.
• MSN Money - Investing Offers stock quotes and market reports.
• NASDAQ Offers stock quotes and market data.
• NYSE Offers stock quotes and market data.
• SEC EDGAR Offers securities filings.
• Yahoo! Finance Offers stock quotes, company profiles, and stock screeners.

After the Internet bubble collapsed, many investors pulled out what money remained in their stock portfolios and tried their hands in real estate investment. The theory goes that unlike stocks, real estate is a real asset — a piece of land or a ranch-style house in the suburbs — which can been seen and touched. And a house certainly feels more solid, reliable and dependable than an intangible share of stock.

However, the important lesson from the Internet bubble isn’t that one asset class is superior to another, because you can lose money as easily in real estate as in the stock market. Instead, investors should focus on the issue of valuation. What is a particular house worth?

The calculus for a homeowner and real estate investor is different. Besides looking at the sales price of comparable homes, investors also need to consider how much rent they can collect as well as whether they will be cash flow positive or negative. This is really important. While no one likes to see their assets depreciate, the real estate investor with a positive or neutral cash flow will ride out any market fluctuations more comfortably than the investor with a negative cash flow. No one likes to be chipping in money every month for a house that is continuously declining in value.

One of the basic concepts of economics is scarcity. And, one of the scarcest assets is land, especially in the coastal communities of California. Through outsourcing and international trade, we are now able to tap into an international distribution network of manufactured goods. A factory in China can produce more clothes, more shoes, more computers and more flat screen televisions, each better and cheaper than the generation before it. But, that same factory cannot produce more land for Californians. As a result, construction companies are building new housing further from existing communities, or finding infill in urban areas to repurpose existing buildings or lands for new houses.

For areas rich in job opportunities, the housing market has proven to be extremely challenging - especially for buyers - in the past few years as median home prices have climbed upwards often seemingly at an astronomical pace. Sometimes, so much so as to evoke the “bubble” term reminiscent of the dot.com heydays. But, real estate is different. Sure, housing prices are governed by supply and demand just like stocks, but while you can issue new stocks, you cannot produce more land. That is the fundamental difference.

For those seeking to invest in real estate, the Vanguard REIT Index Fund offers investors a low-cost means (i.e., 0.24% expense ratio as of Jan 31, 2004) to participate in the real estate market without the hassles of managing the property itself. For those who are able to provide a larger commitment in terms of time and effort, buying a second condo, home or even an apartment complex offers the next step up. Alternatively, if you can afford it, when you are ready to move into a new house, rent out your existing condo or home instead of selling it. This offers you the advantage of renting out a place with which you are familiar.

More Resources

• California Apartment Association Rental housing trade association serving California, representing owners, management companies, and residential managers. Provides articles, forms and educational events.
• National Real Estate Investor Offers news on the real estate investment industry.
• Landlord & Property Management Resource Center Offers articles and tips on landlord-tenant relations and property management. From Nolo.com.

Megan’s Law is named after Megan Kanka, a 7-year-old child who was raped and murdered by a convicted child molester who lived in her neighborhood. At the time, law enforcement officials were prohibited from disclosing the presence of this child molester in the neighborhood. After this incident, the federal and state governments enacted versions of Megan’s Law to allow the release of this type of information to the public.

By accessing the Megan’s Law database in your state, you can see whether a convicted child molester lives in your neighborhood.

More Resources

• Alaska Department of Public Safety - Sex Offender Registration
• Arizona Sex Offender InfoCenter
• California Registered Sex Offenders
• Delaware Sex Offender Central Registry
• New York Sex Offender Registry
• Nevada Sexual Offender Registry
• New Jersey Sex Offender Internet Registry
• Washington Sex Offender Information Center