Gao1

PasadenaCityCollege

TheFormulaForDisaster
HardLandingforParachuteKidsinAmerica

FangyiGao
STAAEnglish1A32460
ProfessorOgden
26April2016

Gao2
FangyiGao
ProfessorOgden
English1AMW
26April2016

ProjectAbstract:TheFormulaforDisaster.
ThispaperexaminesthecaseofparachuteKidsasadiscoursecommunity.Itwillput
focustowardstheeffectsithasontheparachutekidsastheytransitionintoadulthoodwithout
muchdirectparentalsupervision,aswellasdiscussthetrendbehindtherecentdramaticincrease
ofparentssendingtheirchildrenabroadtostudy.Manyofthemdeveloppsychological
maladjustmentsduetothelackofattentiontheyreceive,struggleswiththeiridentity,influence
ofraceandclass.Asanresultfromallthesocietalpressure,Parachutekidsareoftenvictimsof
depressivesymptomssubstanceabuseandganginvolvement.Schoolsanditssurrounding
environmentistheonlydirectinfluenceavaliableforparachutekids,andthispaperwillcloseoff
itsexplorationswithpossiblesolutionstoimprovethelivesofthoselivingabroadaloneata
youngage.

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FormalOutline:
TheFormulaForDisasters:HardlandingsforParachuteKidsinAmerica
Thesis:
Parachutekidstransitionsintoadulthoodwithoutmuchdirectparentalsupervisionand
struggleswithinvisibilityintheirenvironment,manyofthemdeveloppsychologicaland
behavioralproblemsunderextremestressfromsocietalpressureincludingpsychological
maladjustmentsuchasdepressivesymptoms,substanceabuseandganginvolvement.
I.

DefiningtheconceptofdiscoursecommunityandidentifyingtheChineseimmigrants
discoursecommunity.
A. Discoursecommunitycanbedefinedasagroupofpeoplewhosharesthesamelanguage,
belief,andculturesaswellasbehaviors.
B. DifferentsubcategoriesinthediscoursecommunityofChineseimmigrantsrangingfrom
thosewhocameforabetterchanceateducationandjobopportunitiesandthosewho
cametoescapethepressuringpoliticsofChina.
a.TheyallcametoAmericafordifferentreasons,theyallspeakthesamelanguage,
sharedacommoncultureaswellassharingthesamegoalofhavingabetterchanceat
changingtheirqualityoflife.

II.

ThereasonbehindthetrendofParachuteKids.
A. Chinasfinancialstateincreasesteadily,moreandmoreparentsaresendingtheir
childrenabroadtostudy.
B. Theirgoalistoobtainagoodeducation,toraisethechildssocialstatues,andtoprepare
himorherculturallyandlinguisticallyfortheglobaljobmarket.

III.

Commonstrugglesthatparachutekidsfacesinschoolandinsociety.

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A. Theyareoftenexpectedtodohouseholdchores,careforyoungerchildren,andmanage
theirownfinances.Theyalsotendtofeelpressuretoperformwellinacompletely
differentschoolenvironment,whichrequiresthattheymasteranewlanguagequickly.
B. commonfeelingsthatparachutekidsexperienceincludelonelinesssadness,anger,
alienationandhomesicknessreactastheoutputforthedevelopmentofserious
psychologicalandbehavioralproblems,suchasdepression,anxiety,gamblingor
substanceabuse.
IV.

Longtermeffectoflackofsupervision.
A. Experiencessuchastoomuchfreedomwithminimalparentalsupervisionservedasan
underlyingtriggerthatencouragedthemanipulationshealthypsychologicalthinkings
whichisindirectrelationwithbehavioralproblems.
B. Psychologicalmaladjustmentsuchasdepressivesymptoms,substanceabuseandgang
involvement.
C. Asansolutionthereshouldbeastudentmentorshipprogramtobetterhelpparachutekids
transitionintothemainstreamculture.

Conclusion:Tosolvethislonglastingissue,weneedtohaveabetterunderstandingofthe
psychologicalwellbeingsofthosechildren.Understandthatchallengestheyface,andthe
strugglesthattheygothroughtoadapttothenewenvironmentchallengesandproblemscanadd
upwithoutproperguidance.

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TheFormulaForDisasters:HardlandingforparachutekidsinAmerica.
Movingtoanewenvironmentcanbeanexcitingexperienceforsomebutforothers,it
canbedevastating.Forachildoryoungadulttoabandontheiroriginalnicheandtoreadjustto
anewenvironmentwheretheyhavetorelearnalanguageandmeetnewfriendscanbeaharsh
realityandanobstaclethatmanystrugglestoovercome.ThegrowingChineseeconomyandits
ultracompetitivejobfieldhadresultedinthetrendofbecomingmultilingualthusmoreand
moreChineseparentsaresendingtheirchildrenoverseastotheUnitedStatestoobtainagood
education,toraisethechildssocialstatus,andtopreparehimorherculturallyandlinguistically
fortheglobaljobmarket(Chen,NBC)aswellastoescapeChinascompetitivecollege
exams.Itiswellestablishedthatthelevelofeducationandthegrowthofeconomyaredirectly
interlinked.Educationisviewedasanimportantelementindeterminingeconomicwellbeings.
Thenumberofinternationalstudentshaveincreasedfrom1,700in2009toover80,000in2014.
ThroughresearchbyStacyChenfromNBC,shestatedthattherearealargepercentageof
thosestudentsresideinSouthernCalifornia,withChinesenationalsaccountingfor32.3percent
ofthepopulation(Chen).Manyofthestudentsstatedinthatpercentagebelongstoacategory
calledparachutekids,whichreflectsamongthousandofstudentsfrommainlandChinawho
attendsecondaryeducationfacilitiesinCaliforniawithoutmuchparentalsupervision.Becauseof
thefactthatmostparachutekidstransitionsintoadulthoodwithoutmuchdirectparental
supervisionandconstantlystrugglewithinvisibilityintheirenvironment,manyofthemdevelop
psychologicalandbehavioralproblemsunderextremestressfromsocietalpressureandlackof
supportincludingpsychologicalmaladjustmentsuchasdepressivesymptoms,substanceabuse
andganginvolvement.

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Therearemanypeoplewhosharesthesamelanguage,belief,andculturesaswellas
behaviors,thesegroupscanbecategorizedbytheconceptofDiscourseCommunity.John
SwalesinhiswritingTheConceptofDiscourseCommunityquotedHerzbergwhichhestates
thatThepedagogiesassociatedwithwritingacrossthecurriculumandacademicEnglishuse
thenotionofdiscoursecommunitiestosignifyaclusterofideas:thatlanguageuseinagroupisa
formofsocialbehavior,thatdiscourseisameansofmaintainingandextendingthegroups
knowledgeandofirritatingnewmembersintothegroups,andthatdiscourseisepistemicor
constitutiveofthegroupsknowledge(Herzberg.1968:1).Alldiscoursecommunitiesshares
sixcommoncharacteristicswhichSwalesstatesthatadiscoursecommunityhasabroadly
agreedsetofcommonpublicgoals,hasmechanismsofintercommunicationamongitsmembers,
usesitsparticipatorymechanismsprimarilytoprovideinformationandfeedback,utilizesand
hencepossessesoneormoregenresinthecommunicativefurtheranceofitsaims[aswellas]
acquiringsomespecificlexis,[and]adiscoursecommunityhasathresholdlevelofmembers
withasuitabledegreeofrelevantcontentanddiscoursalexpertise.
TherearedifferentsubcategorieswithinthediscoursecommunityofChineseimmigrants
rangingfromthosewhocameforabetterchanceateducationandjobopportunitiesandthose
whocametoescapethepressuringpoliticsofChina.Theseareonlyfewexampleofmany
differentreasonsforwhytheymovedtotheU.S.EventhoughtheyallcametotheU.Sfor
differentreasons,theyallspeakthesamelanguage,sharedacommoncultureaswellassharing
thesamegoalofhavingabetterchanceatchangingtheirqualityoflife.TheChinese
communitiesgenerallysticktogetherinacomfortableniche,forexamplewithintheLosAngeles
CountytherearecertaincitieswithadenseChinesepopulationsuchasArcadia,SanMarino,

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RowlandHeights,TempleCity,andWalnut.AsChinasfinancialstateincreasesteadily,more
andmoreparentsaresendingtheirchildrenabroadtostudy,andthesecitiesgenerallyattract
moreChinesesettlementthantheothers.Thisisaresulttowardsarecenttrendwhereitbecame
anunwrittenrulesforanyoneenteringChinasultracompetitivejobfieldtohavetheabilityto
speakmultiplelanguages.Thecatchisthatmanyoftheparentsonlyhavethefinancialabilityto
sendtheirchildoverseas,andtheytendstostaybehindinChinatoworkandsupporttheirchilds
costoflivingintheU.S,andtoensuretheirchildsqualityoflife.Althoughtheyensuredthe
materialisticaspectoftheirchildslife,parentsoftentimesneglectedtheimportanceof
emotionalsupportandsupervisionfortheseparachutekids.
Astronautfamilies,satalitekids,andparachutekidsaretermsthataregiventominors
whoareunaccompaniedandthosewhoaresenttostudyandlivintheU.Swithouttheir
parentsinsomecasesasearlyasthefirstgrade.Thestressofimmigration,copingwiththe
loneliness,thestruggleofadaptingtoaforeignenvironmentandalsohavinghighacademic
expectationsareelementsthatmaygreatlyaffectthepsychologicalandemotionalwellbeingof
parachutechildren.Whiletheysharecommonworrieswithotherssuchasacademic
achievements,parachutekidsalsohaveawiderangeofresponsibilitiespiledontopoftheir
shoulders.Outsideofschoolstheyhavetheresponsibilityofwiselymanagingtheirownpersonal
lives,theyareoftenexpectedtodohouseholdchores,careforyoungerchildren,andmanage
theirownfinances.Theyalsotendtofeelpressuretoperformwellinacompletelydifferent
schoolenvironment,whichrequiresthattheymasteranewlanguagequickly(Kim,Okazaki,
459).Inanacademiclearningenvironment,theystruggleswiththeiridentitiesinclassbecause
oftheirlackofknowledgeinenglishandtheculturaldifferencetheyexperience.Hsiehfrom

Gao8
NationalTaichungInstituteofTechnologyarguesthatinvisibilitydoesnotmeansomethingis
notexistentinstead,invisibilityisoftencausedbysocialstructuresthatmakeindividuals
voicelessandinvisible(Hsieh).Theculturedifferenceandthedifferencebetweenthetwo
countrieseducationalvalueandlanguagebarrierarethecauseofthelackofattentionand
interactionforinternationalstudentsespeciallyParachuteKidsbecauseAmericansociety
generallyvaluesassertivenessandconsiderskeepingsilentandindicationofincompetenceor
ignoranceHowever,becausesecondlanguagelearnersandusersopportunitiestospeakare
sometimessociallyconstructedandrestricted,notallthespeakerscanchoosetheopportunities
andconditionsinwhichtheycaninteractwithtargetlanguagespeaks(Hsieh).AuthorAmyTan
oncesaidlanguageisnotonlyatoolofcommunication,butalsoasociologicaltoolof
measuringindividualworth(Tan)wheninternationalstudentsstrugglewithlanguagebarriers,
theotherstudentsaswellthemselveswilldecreasetheirpersonalworth.Communicationisakey
elementforsomeonewhoistryingdevelopasenseofbelongingandtolearninanacademic
environment,howeverinmanycasestheirfellowpeersneglectsinteractionsasresultof
ethnocentricthinking.LiLing,whoisapartofthediscoursecommunityofparachutekid
sharedherexperiencethatherclassmatedidnotacceptherandevaluatehernegativelyduetothe
factthatsheisdifferentfromotherswhentheintervieweraskedifshefeltfrustratedwhenthe
majoritylabeledherasminoritysherepliedyeah,andIcouldnotgetintotheirgroups,andI
wassoquiet,andIwasisolated,andthatmademefeeluncomfortableandhurtandunhappy,and
Ididntwanttogototheclass(Li).Thecommonfeelingsthatparachutekidsexperience
includelonelinesssadness,anger,alienationandhomesicknessreactastheoutputforthe

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developmentofseriouspsychologicalandbehavioralproblems,suchasdepression,anxiety,
gamblingorsubstanceabuse.
Acquiringfrompersonalexperience,whenIfirstmovedtotheU.Sin2006,Iwas
strippedawayfromtheworldthatIwassuedtoandhadtoreconstructmyidentity.AlthoughI
didnotmoveherealone,Iwasforcedtostepawayfrommycomfortzoneandconquertaskthat
seemedimpossibletotheeightyearoldmetolearnenglishandmakenewfriends,aswellas
befittedintothenewenvironment.Atthosetimes,Ifeelthevacuum,theloneliness,the
silence,thedehydrationofthesoul(Pipher),thinkingback,itwasharsh,uncomfortable,andI
felthelplessbutitwasaseriesofobstaclesthatIveconqueredeventually.Lookingbackat
thosetimes,Icanseethatmylifehasbeenaseriesofstories(Pipher,38)thatIvewritten
withexperience.Thefactthatduringtheyearof2006therewasntasmuchchineseimmigrant
groupsversusnowwasablessingandacurse.Thechallengingenvironmentwasbeneficialin
helpingmeovercomethefearsandforcedmetolearnenglishassoonaspossible,butthesame
theenvironmentandjudgementsbymyfellowpeerssteppedovermyselfesteemasitbecame
flatlikeapieceofpaper.
Manyotheryoungimmigrantslikemyselfhavehadtheexperiencewranglingwith
everythingfromaforeignlanguageandculturetobeingawayfrom[their]families,manyforthe
firsttime(Chen,NBC).WhileIbecameanexampleofthosewhoflourishedandmovedonto
excelinrespectivecollegesandjobs,othershadamuchmoreroughexperienceandstruggledto
findtheirindividualvoiceinthenewenvironment.Parachutekidsaredistinctlydifferentfrom
U.SbornAsianAmericanandchildrenwhomovedimmigratedwiththeirparents,most
parachutekidsresidinginUnitedStatesarewithoutparentalsupervisionthusalotofpressure

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areputupontheirshouldersatayoungerage,theyareoftenexpectedtodohouseholdchores,
careforyoungerchildren,andmanagetheirownfinances.Theyalsotendtofeelpressureto
performwellinacompletelydifferentschoolenvironment,whichrequiresthattheymastera
newlanguagequickly(Kim,Okazaki,459).Undersuchextremepressurefromtheir
environment,somemayhaveahardtimedifferentiatingtherightsandwrongsatdecisionsin
life.Cho,whoisapartoftheparachutekiddiscoursecommunityalongwithhissister,thrived
andwentontoU.CBerkeleyshortlyafterhishighschoolgraduation.Meanwhilehissisterfailed
tocatchupinarecentinterviewwithNBCNewsinregardstotheissuesofthecommunityhe
reflecteduponhissistersheusedtobeagood,wellbehavedkidChorecalled.Maybeits
because[their]parentsarenormallyreallystrict,sothesecondshegothere...theykeptgivingher
moneyand[his]sisterturnedintoanultimateshopaholic.Chossistersbehaviorallowedherto
becameacceptedandpopularamongherfellowpeersinschools,butatthesamedraggedheroff
thepathofachievingforthebetter.Manyhopefulparentswhotakenpartintheparachute
movementallhaveacommongoalofraisingthequalityoflifeandobtainingbettereducation
fortheirnextgeneration.Howeveritischallengingforyoungsterstofacethisobstaclecourseof
adjustingtoculturesandcustomsintheU.S.
Inthelightofarecenttragedy,inwhichthemediacalledittheLordoftheFlies
attack,whereagroupofparachutekidsassaultedtheirfellowpeerinwhichthey...tookhertoa
nearbypark,wheretheystrippedhernaked,kickedherwithhighheeledshoes,clappedher
hundredsoftimesandburnedhernippleswithcigarettes(Chang,Shyong,LATimes).People
mightassumethatitisonlyincriminalactionmoviewheretheantagonistoftheplottricksthe
protagonisttoanisolatedenvironmentandperformsallsortsofphysicalandemotionaltorture

Gao11
towardstheweak.Inmostcases,theantagonistinthosedarkandchillingsceneshaveadirect
relationshipwithpsychologicalmalfunction,itistheresultofelementssuchasloneliness,being
lookeddownupon,orabuse.Inthesunnydayofspringof2015,the18yearoldYiranCamellia
LiustoodoutsideanicecreamparlorinRowlandHeights,Californiawaitingforherfriends.
WhatmightseemlikearegularhangoutdateforLiulaterturnedouttobesomethingthatmay
scarheremotionallyandphysicallyfortherestofherlife.Yiranwaswaitingbytheicecream
parlortosettleaminordisputewithherfriendsaboutanunpaiddinnerbillthathappenedfew
weeksago.Unexpectedly,Liuarrivedwithafewofothers,andlikeLiu,theywereallparachute
kidsChinesehighschoolerswhohadcometotheU.Stostudy.Inmostcasestheseparachute
kidscomefromwellofffamilybackgroundsstudyingintheU.Srequiresthemtopayahigh
numberofinternationaltuitionfees,andtosupportthiskindsoflivingstyle,theirparents
remainoverseas.Parachutekidsclungtooneanotheroutofsenseofsharedisolation(Wang,
WashingtonPost).
AttheIceCreamparlorandlateratanearbypark,Liuwasbrutalizedformorethanfive
hours.AccordingtocourttestimonycitedbyLosAngelesTimestwootherstudentsfrom
Chinastripedthevictimnaked,kickedherwithhighheeledshoes,slappedherandburnedher
withcigarettes(Chang).TheteenagersforcedLiutokneelandwipecigarettebuttsandice
creamsmearsoffthefloorwithherbarehands.AccordingtoWashingtonPosttheyalsoslapped
andkickedherwhileyellingcanyoujustgetthehelloutofLosAngeles?No,youknow,you
shouldnt,youshould[notleave]LosAngelesbecauseifyoudo,thenitwillbenofunforus.
Wecanthityouanymore(Yang,Zhai).Atthatpoint,theassailantstookLiuscellphoneand
carkeysandthegroupdrovehertoRowlandHeightsParkwithLiusowncarandforcedherto

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stripnakedbeforecontinuingtheirbeatings.WhileLiuwasnaked,theyburnedhernipples,hip,
andchestwithcigarettes.Moreover,theycutherhairandmadehereatit.Aftertheassault,they
askedLiutogivethemaridebackandLiufollowedtheirinstructionbecauseshestatedthatshe
wastooscaredtodoanythingelse.
Incourt,thethreeoftheassailantswhosenamesareXinleiJohnZhang,Yuhan
CocoyangandYunyaohelenZhai,all19yearoldweresentencedonthecountsof
kidnappingandassaultbymeansofforcelikelytoproducegreatbodilyinjuryunderaplea
agreementwithprosecutorsthatwasapprovedbyLosAngelesCountySuperiorCourtJudge
ThomasC.Falls(Chang,LATimes).
ZhangwassentencedtosixyearsinCaliforniastate
prison,Yangto10yearsandZhaito13yearsinprisonthelengthsofthesentenceswere
determinedbyeachperson'sdegreeofinvolvement.Duringthehearings,thesuperiorcourt
judgeThomasC.Fallslinkedthisassaulttothestoryplotofthenovelpublishedin1954Lord
oftheFlies.TheLordoftheFliestalkedaboutagroupofBritishschoolboysstrandedonan
otherwiseuninhabitedisland,isolatedfromthecivilizationandlackofadultsupervisionwhich
resultedinutteranarchy,violenceanddestruction(Wang).Incomparison,Fallsstatedthat
bothLiuandherattackerswerelivinganoceanawayfromtheirimmediatefamilies,inan
environmentlargelyforeigntothem(Fall).Inanotherword,parachutekidsarestrandedona
desertedislandAmericanwastheirisland.
Whilemanyparachutekidssucceedacademicallyandmanymoveontoattendivyleague
universities,theyarealsomorevulnerabletodepressionandexperimentationwithalcoholand
drugs.Meanwhile,ontheothersideoftheocean,theirparentsmaybewrackedwithguiltover
theseparationandattempttocompensatethechildslonelinessbyshoweringthemwith

Gao13
expensivegifts.Moreover,Oneofthemaincausefortheparachutekidsbehaviormaybe
boredom,thustheybondwithotherchinesekidsinsmallcircleswithnoparentalsupervision
andthingstendstogetoutofcontroleasilyinthiskindofsituation.Instatementsprovidedby
thefamiliesofthedefendants,theyencourageparentswhoarethinkingaboutsendingtheir
childrenoverseaswithnoparentalsupervisiontothinkagain,YuhanYangstatedinher
statementtothejudgethat
ParentsinChinaarewellmeaningandsendtheirkidsthousandsof
milesawaywithnosupervisionandtoomuchfreedom.Thatisaformulafordisaster.
Whilesomecriticsputtheirblamestowardstheparentsforspoilingtheirchild,host
families,oreventhekidsthemselvesclaimingthat
"thisabsurdprogramofunsupervised
childrenmustbebroughttoanimmediateend"
,thisisalonglastingissuethatneedstobe
solved.Beforecomingupwithanysortofanswertohowthisproblemcanbesolved,thesociety
needtohaveabetterunderstandingofthepsychologicalwellbeingsofthosechildrenandto
understandthechallengestheyface,andthestrugglesthattheygothroughtoadapttothenew
environment.oneofthemainissueinrelationtothisproblemisthelackofsupportforthose
studentgroups.Thestressofimmigration,copingwiththeloneliness,aswellasadaptingtoa
foreignenvironmentandalsohavinghighacademicexpectationsareelementsthatmaygreatly
affectthepsychologicalandemotionalwellbeingofparachutechildren.Whilemostschools
offerprogramssuchasESL/ELLtohelpnonenglishspeakerstotransitionintothe
englishspeakingsociety,theseprogramsareoftentimesnoteffectiveenoughandinstead,actas
anicheinwhichparachutekidssticktogetherinwhichpreventedthemfromsteppingoutofthe
trap.

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Tobetterensurethequalityofthiscommunitysacademicwellbeingaswellastheir
emotionalwellbeing,thereshouldbebettersupportforparachutekidsbothinsideandoutsideof
theclassroom.
HighSchoolsinareaswheretherearehighnumbersofParachuteKidsshould
establishprogramsofmentorshipswherestudentsmembersofsupportgrouparepairedupwith
everystudentsintheirschoolsthatbelongstotheparachutekidscategory.Studentmentors
shouldbeselectedbasedonvolunteerapplicationandthroughaninterviewprocessmoreover
thestudentmentorsshouldbeadvisedwithfacultysupervisions.Studentmentorsmaybemore
effectiveversushavingadultmentorsbecausestudentsofthesameorsimilarageareabletoget
closertoparachutekidsandmayunderstandeachotherbetter.Standingintheparachutekids
pointofview,itmaybelessintimidatingtoaskquestionsandexpresstheirworriestostudents
similartothemwithoutthefearofbeingjudgedbyanadultorgettingintrouble.Theprogram
shouldhaveasystemwherestudentmentorsareresponsibletolisteningandadvisingthe
menteesandshouldnotbetellinganyoneelseabouttheirmenteescircumstances,however
whenthestudentmentorssensedangeroranythingunfit/unusualabouttheirmenteethenthey
shouldimmediatelyreachouttoanadultsupervisorforhelpandguidance.Havingstudent
mentorsforthiscommunitywillhelptheparachutekidstohaveasmoothertransitiontowards
theAmericanculture,aswellasprovidelanguagesupportforthestudentstofeelasenseof
belongstowardstheforeignenvironment.
Experiencessuchastoomuchfreedomwithminimalparentalsupervisionservedasan
underlyingtriggerthatencouragedthemanipulationshealthypsychologicalthinkingswhichisin
directrelationwithbehavioralproblems.InastudydonebyHwangandWoodinrelationtothe
experiencesofformerparachutekidstheydiscoveredthatIncontrasttoadolescentsto

Gao15
adolescentswhoimmigratedwiththeirparentsparachutekidsmayexperiencemore
communicationdifficultieswithparents,especiallynonverbalview,duetothegreatgeographic
distanceaswellastheirincreasedintegrationwiththedominationculture(Lee,Friedlander).
Thepublicshouldunderstandthatbothsidearevictimofpsychologicalmanipulation.Tosolve
thislonglastingissue,weneedtohaveabetterunderstandingofthepsychologicalchallenges
thattheyfacebylookingintothechallengestheyface,andthestrugglesthattheygothroughto
adapttothenewenvironment.Psychologicalmaladjustmentsuchasgangviolence,substance
abuseanddepressioncanaddupwithoutproperguidance.Oneofthemainissueinrelationto
thisproblemisthelackofsupportandlackofcommunicationforthosestudentgroups.There
shouldbeastudentmentorshipprogramavailableforallhighschooltosupportparachutekids
bothinsideandoutsideoftheclassroom
topreventorreducethe
developmentsofpsychological
andbehavioralproblemsthatarecausedbyextremestressfromsocietalpressureandlackof
supportincludingpsychologicalmaladjustmentsaswellastoreconstructtheidentityand
authenticvoicesthatwereoncelost.

Gao16

WorkCited
Alton.ThePhenomenaofParachuteKids.Unhyphenate.me.Unhyphenate.8July.2015Web.
1March.2016.
Chen,Stacy.ForSomeParachuteKids,AHardLandinginAmericanSchools.nbcnews.
NBCNews.,14Aug.2015.Web.20Feb.2016.

Chang,Cindy.Sentencedtoprisonforassault,teenageparachutekidsdeliverwarningsto
adultsinChina.latimes.com.LATimes.February17.2016Web.March22.2016.
Chang,Cindy&Shyone,Frank.TeenAttackonChineseGirlDrawsComparisontoLordof
theFliesfromjudge.LATimes.com.TheLosAngelesTimes.25July.2015Web.1
March2016.
Hanushek,EA.EducationAndEconomicGrowth.InternationalEncyclopediaofEducation:
Volume2.Oxford:Elsevier.2010.245253.Print.
Hsieh,MinHua."ChallengesForInternationalStudentsInHigherEducation:OneStudent's
NarratedStoryOfInvisibilityAndStruggle."
CollegeStudentJournal
(2007):379391.
AcademicSearchPremier
.Web.4Mar.2016.
Hsieh,MinHua,Lee,andMyrnaL.Friedlander."PredictingDepressiveSymptomsFrom
AcculturativeFamilyDistancing:AStudyOfTaiwaneseParachuteKidsInAdulthood."
CulturalDiversity&EthnicMinorityPsychology
20.3(2014):458462.
Academic
SearchPremier
.Web.29Feb.2016.
Pipher,Mary.KnowThyself.WritingtoChangetheWorld.NewYork:thePenguinGroup.

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2006.3443.Print.
Swales.John.TheConceptofDiscourseCommunityWritingAboutWriting:Downsand
Wardle.Boston:BedfordSt.Martins.2011.466473.Print.
Tan,Amy.MotherTongue.ReadingforRevolutionarywriting.
ReadingsforRevolutionary
Writing
.StretchAcceleratedCompositioned.Boston&NewYork:
Bedford/St.Martins.353358.Print.
Wang,Yanan.TheLordoftheFliesbullyingcasethatssendingthreechineseparachutekids
toCaliforniaprison.washingtonpost.com.TheWashingtonPost.February18,2015
webMarch22.2016.

Gao18
AnnotatedBibliography.
ParachuteKidsResearchMaterials:
Alton.ThePhenomenaofParachuteKids.Unhyphenate.me.Unhyphenate.8July.2015
Web.1March.2016.

TheAuthorreflecteduponthetragedyoftherecentattackofparachutekidsandsharedhis/her
personopinionuponthistrend.Andthearticleidentifiedproblemsfrombothsidesoftheissue,
fromtheparentstotheeducationsystemintheUnitedStates.Fromauthorspersonalexperience,
he/shebelievesthatparachutekidshavetogothroughsomuchmorethanotherkidsoftheirage,
butthepublicsimplydoesnotseethehardshipthattheygothrough,andinstead,focusonthe
troublesthattheyarecausing.TheAuthorthenmovedontoaddresstheopponentspointofview
andprovidedargumentsagainsttheopponentandpointedoutareasofimprovementforthe
system.AltonbelievesthattherearealackofsupportandresourcesavailableforParachute
Kids.

Chen,Stacy.ForSomeParachuteKids,AHardLandinginAmericanSchools.
nbcnews.NBCNews.,14Aug.2015.Web.20Feb.2016
.

Chentalksaboutthehardshipsthatparachutekidsaremorevulnerabletofacewhentherearea
lackofparentalsupervision.Andreportedthetheincidentinwhichthreehighschoolstudentgot
arrestedduetoviolentcrimes.SheshinedalightontheflawedAmericaneducationsystem
wheretherearealackofattentiononnonenglishspeakersandtheyareoftenneglectedwhether
itisontheacademiclevelandemotionallevel.Tosupportherpoint,sheprovidedinterviews
withseveralstudentsthatbelongstotheparachutekidscategory.Theonlydifferencebetween
theinterviewsprovidedinrelationtotheviolentcaseisthatthestudentssheinterviewed
successfullymovedonthenotablecollegesandjobswhereasthecasefocusedonparachutekids
thatstuckandunabletomoveon.

Chang,Cindy.Sentencedtoprisonforassault,teenageparachutekidsdeliverwarnings
toadultsinChina.latimes.com.LATimes.February17.2016Web.March
22.2016.

Changdescribedthedayofthesentencinginwhichallofthestudentsweresentencedtojail
basedontheirinvolvementofthecase.Sheexposedaletteroneofthegirlwrotepriortothe
courtappearance,inherlettershestatedthatsheissorryforeverythingharmshesdoneonthe
victimaswellastheemotionalharmthatshesdoneforherfamily.Shethenreflecteduponher
experienceasaparachutekidsandurgestheparentsinChinawhoarestillconsideringsending
theirchildrentotheU.Stothinkagainasshecalledthisparachutekidtrendaformulafor
disaster.

Chang,Cindy&Shyone,Frank.TeenAttackonChineseGirlDrawsComparisonto

Gao19
LordoftheFliesfromjudge.LATimes.com.TheLosAngelesTimes.25
July.2015
Web.1March2016.

ChangandShyoneusedvividdetailstodescribetheviolentcrimethathappenedonthatday
fromstarttofinish.Inwhichthevictimmetupwithaherfriendstosettleaargumentandinstead
gotbeatenupbyherfriendandtheothersthatshebroughtalong.Changthenprovideddetailsof
thecourtrulingofthedayinwhereshestatedthatthejudgeswerecomparingthedetails/process
ofthecasetothenoveltheLordoftheFlieswhereparachutekidsarevictimsstrandedona
desertedisland,whichinthiscaseisUnitedStatesistheisland.

Hanushek,EA.EducationAndEconomicGrowth.InternationalEncyclopediaof
Education:Volume2.Oxford:Elsevier.2010.245253.Print.

Thearticlereviewstherelationshipbetweeneducationandeconomicgrowth.Itclaimsthatthe
roleofeducationplaysabigpartinpromotingeconomicgrowth.Thehigheracountrys
educationallevel,themoreactiveitseconomicbecome,inotherwordstheeffectofskillsis
complementarytothequalityofeconomicinstitutions.Itconcludesthatthereisstrongevidence
toprovethatthecognitiveskillsofthepopulationratherthanmereschoolattainmentare
powerfullyrelatedtolongruneconomicgrowth.Moreover,thechanceofgettingahigher
educationincreaseswhentheeconomyclimbsupwards,thereforeeducationandeconomic
coexistwitheachother.

HsinHua,Lee,andMyrnaL.Friedlander."PredictingDepressiveSymptomsFrom

AcculturativeFamilyDistancing:AStudyOfTaiwaneseParachuteKidsIn
Adulthood."
CulturalDiversity&EthnicMinorityPsychology
20.3(2014):458462.

AcademicSearchPremier
.Web.29Feb.2016.

Hsin,Lee,andFriedlanderconductedanindepthresearchonthepsychologicaleffectithason
kidswholacksparentalsupervisionforalongperiodoftime.Thetargetofherresearchwasthe
68parachutekidsfromTaiwan.Shelookedatdifferentcasesofdepressivesymptoms,violent
behaviorsandproblemswithcommunicationsthatarearesultofthelongdistancebetween
parentsandtheirkids.Theirstudiesfoundthatincontrasttoadolescentstowhoimmigratedwith
theirparents,parachutekidsmayexperiencemorecommunicationdifficultieswithparents,
especiallynonverbalview,duetothegreatgeographicdistanceaswellastheirincreased
integrationwiththedominationculturewhichinthiscaseisthecultureoftheUnitedStates.

Hsieh,MinHua."ChallengesForInternationalStudentsInHigherEducation:One
Student'sNarratedStoryOfInvisibilityAndStruggle."
CollegeStudentJournal
(2007):379391.
AcademicSearchPremier
.Web.4Mar.2016.

Hsiehinthisarticlelookedintothepossiblestrugglesthatinternationalstudentsmayexperience
inanacademicsettingdototheirculturedifferenceandlanguagedifference.Furthermore,
cultureandlanguagedifferencealsoresultsinlackofattentionandinteractionforinternational
studentsbecauseamericansocietygenerallyvalueassertivenessandconsiderskeepingsilentas

Gao20
indicationofincompetenceorignorance.However,inasiancultureitisviewedastheopposite.
Silenceisconsideredasaformofrespectinanacademiclearningenvironment.Thisdifference
createsinvisibilityforthestudents,thisclaimwassupportedbyafewinterviewsthatHsieh
conductedwithafewofthecollegeinternationalstudents.Sheconcludedthearticlebydefining
invisibility,invisibilitydoesnotmeansomethingisnotexistentinstead,invisibilityisoften
causedbysocialstructuresthatmakeindividualvoicelessandinvisible.

Tan,Amy.MotherTongue.ReadingforRevolutionarywriting.
Readingsfor
RevolutionaryWriting
.StretchAcceleratedCompositioned.Boston&NewYork:
Bedford/St.Martins.353358.Print.

AmyTandiscussedtheconnectionsbetweenlanguagesandculturethatshapethewaypeople
see,expresstheirfeelingsaswellasshapethewaytheyseetheworld.Shefocusedonher
childhoodexperiencegrowingupwithtwodifferentkindsofenglishnativeenglishandbroken
english.Mothertonguemeansanativelanguageapersonspeaks,forexampleifthepersonis
fromChinathentheirmothertongueisChinese...viceversa.Butinthiscase,AmyTansmother
TongueisindicatinghermothersbrokenenglishandresultedinTansbrokenenglish.Shestated
thatalthoughotherpeoplemighthavetroubleunderstandingherbrokenenglish,sheembraceit
becauseitispartofwhosheis,heridentityandherauthenticvoice.Toconcludeheressay,she
statedthatlanguageisnotonlyatoolofcommunication,butalsoasociologicaltoolof
measuringindividualworth.

DiscourseCommunities:

Hooks,Bell.
WhereWeStand:ClassMatters.
FirstEdition.NewYork:Routledge.2000.
Print.

InBellHook's"Wherewestand,ClassMatters",shediscussesthecauseandeffectofclass
differentiationandhowitmadeimpactstowardsthefemalepopulation.Thecasestudiesthatshe
usesinherwritingismainlytargetedtowardstheAfricanAmericancommunity.Shecompares
theBlackcommunitytoWhitecommunitiestowhichshecommentedthatbothAfrican
Americanandthewhiteshavepoorandmiddleclasscitizensandonlyafewisconsidered
privilegedandthattheupperclassAfricanAmericansareconsiderastheBlackBourgeoisie.The
BlackBourgeoisieenjoystheirrolesasthemediatorbetweentheWhitemainstreamsocietyand
theblackmasses.Eventhoughthepeopleinthecommunitiesarethesameclass,theauthor
noticedthatthepeoplewithlightskincoloroftengetstreatedbetter.Whiletheprivilegedblack
communityhavethepowertominimizedthestruggleofextremeracism,theunderprivileged
havenochoicebuttofacethedehumanizationoftheircultureandrace.Hooksbelievesthat
insteadofrunningawayfromtheresponsibilities,theprogressiveblackelitesmustusetheir
powertoconfrontandchallengetheconservativemainstreamsocietiestoendracedomination
andhelptheblackmasseswhoarebeingstrippedofclasspower.

Swales.John.TheConceptofDiscourseCommunityWritingAboutWriting:Downs
andWardle.Boston:BedfordSt.Martins.2011.466473.Print.

Gao21
JohnSwalesinhiswritingTheConceptofDiscourseCommunitydefineddiscourse
communityasagroupofpeoplewhosharesthesamelanguage,beliefandcultures,aswellas
behaviors.Healsostatesthatalldiscoursecommunitiessharessixcommoncharacteristicswhich
Swalesstatesthatadiscoursecommunityhasabroadlyagreedsetofcommonpublicgoals,has
mechanismsofintercommunicationamongitsmembers,usesitsparticipatorymechanisms
primarilytoprovideinformationsandfeedback,utilizesandhencepossessesoneormoregenres
inthecommunicativefurtheranceofitsaims,acquiringsomespecificlexis,andadiscourse
communityhasathresholdlevelofmemberswithasuitabledegreeofrelevantcontentand
discoursalexpertise.

Makinganimpactstartswithbabysteps:

Chang,Candy.BeforeIDie.TED.TedTalks.Jul2012.Web.March2016.

CandyChangopenedherspeechbyreflectingonherpersonalexperiencewithdeathoftheloved
onesaroundher.TheseexperienceinspiredhertoaskherselfwhatdoIwanttodobeforeI
die?Asaresultshetransformedanabandonedbuildingintoagiantchalkboardwiththe
templetBeforeIDieIwanttoTherearealotofsurprisingresultssuchasbeforeIdieIwant
tosingforamillionsorbeforeIdieIwanttocompletelybemyself.Sheconcludedthatthemost
valuablethingswehaveistimeandrelationshipswithotherpeopleandconcludedherspeechby
sayingwithmorewaystoshareourhopes,fearsandstories,

thepeoplearounduscannotonly
helpusmakebetterplaces,

theycanhelpusleadbetterlives.

Davis,jenkins,andHunt.ThePact:ThreeYoungMenMakeaPromiseandFulfilla
Dream.ReissueEdition.NewYork:RiverheadBooks.2000Print.

ThePactdescribesastoryof3storywhosenamesare:SampsonDavis,RameckHunt,and
GeorgeJenkins.ThesethreeteenagerscamefromaroughneighborhoodofNewark,NewJersey,
onemightseethemasnothingspecialandprofilethemtofitintotheimageofastereotypical
AfricanAmericanhoweverbehindthestereotypeimagethesethreeboysareaboveaverage
intelligent.Thestereotypesthatthesocietiesputontheirdiscoursecommunitybecameaformof
selffulfillingprophecyforthemost,butDavis,HuntandJenkinssawtheiropportunitiesand
grabbedontoit.TheirfirstopportunitywasattendingUniversityHigh,thesecondopportunity
wasthefateofmeetingeachother,andtheirthirdandmostimportantopportunitywasthe
recruitmentpresentationonSetonHallUniversity.DuringtherecruitmentpresentationonSeton
HallUniversity,thecollegewasofferingatemptingassistancepackageforminoritiesinits
PreMedical/PreDentalPlusPrograminwhichGeorgeconvincedhistwofriendstogoto
collegewithhim.Theywouldhelpeachotherthrough.Noneofthemwouldbeallowedtodrop
outandbereabsorbedbytheNewarkstreets.Thebookendedwithallthreeoftheboys
graduatedandsuccessfullyearnedtheirmedicaldegrees.

Finley,Ron.AGuerillagardenerinSouthCentralLA.Ted.TedTalks.Feb2013.Web.
March2016.

Gao22
RonFinleystatedinhistalkthat"Youwouldbesurprisedwhatthesoilcoulddoifyouletitbe
yourcanvas".Tostartoffhisspeech,heidentifiedhisneighborhoodandtheproblemhefacedin
hisneighborhoodinwhichhecallshiscitysouthcentralLAafooddesertduetolackoffresh
andhealthyfoodandfulloffastfoodthusresultedtheresidentsofsouthcentralLAislivean
unhealthylifestyle.Thesolutionthathecameupwithtofixthisproblemthathestarttoplant
vegetablesandfruitsinthesoilofhissidewalk.Althoughhefacedmanyoppositionsfromthe
cityofficialsandbystanders,hecontinuedtodowhathebelieveisright.

Schlinkenmeyer,Max.TheMostAstoundingFactneilDeGrasseTyson.Youtube.com.
Youtube.2March.2012.Web.8Feb.2016.

ThisvideofeaturesaninterviewwithscientistNeilDegrasseTysoninwhichheanswersthe
questionswhatisthemostastoundingfactintheuniverse?Tysonanswersbysayingthat
humanityisconnectedbythesameatomsthatcreatedtheuniversebeingcreated,planetsand
galaxiesinthesolarsystem,andtheMilkyWay.Theideasinthevideoareinterestedbecausehe
discusseshoweverythingpeople,worlds,planets,galaxiesareallmadeupofthesamematerial.
Thisideaanchorshisdiscussionoftheconnectivityandoriginsofhumanityandtheuniverse.
HisideasechothoseofpsychologistMaryPipherinhertextwritingtoChangetheWorld,
becausesheargueshowhumanityhadlostconnectiondespitethecarthat,asTysonsays,weare
allcreatedoutofthesameatoms.

Discoveringauthenticvoicesthroughwriting:

Elbow,Peter.DesperationWriting.ReadingsforRevolutionaryWriting.
StretchAcceleratedCompositioned.Boston&NewYork:Bedford/St.Martins
2013.Print.

PeterElbowintroducestheideaofsimplywritingdownanythingthatisonyourmindontoa
pieceofpaper.Justwriteandkeepwritingsuggestedbyelbow.Anysortofmood,eventand
detailsinlifemaymakeanimpactthecontentandqualityofthewriting.Althoughitmaynot
makesensewhenyoufirststartwriting,buteventuallyallthesimplefeeling,perceptionorthe
sortofthoughtswillbeorganizedintoanunderstandablepieceofwork.

Pipher,Mary.CoolingDownRevising.
WritingtochangetheWorld.
NewYork:
ThepenguinGroup.2006Print.

Piphercomparedtheprocessofrevisingasafewminutesofcarefulculling[that]cantransform
ascragglypatchintoabouquetofstartlingcolors.Writersshouldmaketheirworkbrief,
eloquentandinspirational.Somestrategiestorevisingincludesidentifyingtheaudienceby
focusingoncommonneedsandproblems.Aattentiongrabbingtitleisalsoimportanttoapiece
ofsuccessfulwritingasgoodtitlesarealsohowwefindreaders.Pipherdefinessuccessasnot
anumberfame,qualityisnotquantity.Successmeansthatwritershavedonetheirbest.One
pipherquotethatstoodoutwhilereadingiswehaveusedourfreedomtofreesomeoneelse.
Successisnofameorawardsitissharingourideasdiscussedbyotherpeople.

Gao23

.GrowingOursouls.
WritingtoChangetheWorld
.NewYork:ThePenguinGroup.
2006.Print.

Pipherstatedinthischapterthatmanypeoplediscovertheirmissionswhileponderingasky
filledwithstarsorwalkingthroughtheforest.Shebelievesthatasyouwritedownthingsthat
youhappenedinyourlife,youwillnoticemanythings.Bothwonderfulandterribleeventscan
inspireactivism,aswellasjoyandawe.Growingoursoulisimportantindiscoveringempathy
clarityandpassionforthegood.Andgrowingoursoulwillclarifythesenseofwhowecallus
aswellasanexpansioninourcapacitytodrawdistinctionandmakeconnections.

.Introduction.
WritingtoChangetheWorld
.NewYork:ThePenguinGroup,2006.
Print.

InWritingtoChangetheWorld,Pipherconveytheideathattheworldisdisconnectedbecause
weknowtoomuchinformationbutwedonotknowhowtochangethesituationsaroundthe
world.Shebelievesthatlanguagecanbeweaponizedtodehumanizeandobjectifyothers.The
mainjobofawriteristowriteandsharetheirthoughts,andeducatedtheotherswiththeir
experiencestoreconnectthesocietiesbacktogether.

.KnowThyself.
WritingtoChangetheWorld.
NewYork:thePenguin
Group.2006.3443.Print.

InKnowThyself,marypiphersuggestedthatwritingisaformofselfexplorationwhichcan
teachuswhoweare.INPipherswords:writingcanhelpusseewhyourstoriesmatter,and
whywefeelasenseofurgencytotellthem.Carefullyconsidered,ourstoriescanshedlighton
ourmoralassignments(Pipher,43).Thatbeingsaid,bookscaninspirepeoplesemotionsand
theycanlearnsomethingusefulfrombooks.Toconcludethechapter,Pipherconveysthe
messagethatknowingthyselfisnecessitytowardsbetterwritings.

.ThePsychologyofChange.
WritingtoChangetheWorld
.NewYork:ThePenguin
Group.2006.Print.

Therearegreatsimilaritiesbetweentherapyandwriting,bothrequireintelligentquestion,
excavatingforemotionaltruths,andsolvingcomplexproblems.Bothwritersandtherapist
developsuniquevoicesandstyles.Toneofvoicesandwritingstylesofthewritercreatesa
connectionthatcandirectlyrelatetothechangeinmindofthereaders.Pipherstatesthat
engagingwiththeaudienceandestablishconnectionsisessencetomakeanimpactfor
example,showingsignsofrespectevokesfearanddefensiveness.Moreover,persuasionisaskill
thatisimportantforanwriter,thesecrettopersuasionisconnectionsItisimportanttokeepan
unbiasedopinionwhenawriterisconveyinghis/herideas.Establishmiddlegroundsfor
audiencetoexploreandimplytheirownpointofview.Also,thewriterstoneisessentialin
changewritingbecauseitconveysasenseofemotiontothereaders.

Gao24
.WhatyouAloneCanSay.WritingtoChangetheWorld.NewYork:thePenguin
Group.2006.4347.Print.

EveryPersonhavetheirownauthenticvoicethatnooneelsecanhaveyouhavesomethingto
saythatnooneelsecansay(Pipher44).Eachwriterhaveauniquehistory,uniquesensibilities
anduniquesenseofplace.Tofindyourownauthenticvoice,youmustknowthyself.Notonly
writingcanspreadideasbutitcanalsoteacheachindividualswhotheyare.Individualvoices
cancomeindifferentformsandeachdifferentformsofvoiceshavethepowertomakeastrong
statementandaswellasmakeastrongimpactinhumanity