Chinese nannies are now in demand in families in the United States. (Photo : Gettty Images)
More families in the United States--may they be American or Chinese immigrants--are hiring Chinese nannies, a report from Chinese online news outlet Red Star News stated.
Mandarin-speaking nannies are a good choice for Chinese immigrant families as they can use traditional childcare techniques. They can also aid in passing on China's cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, U.S. parents hope that a Chinese nanny can give their kids a head start in life as they can help expose their children to Mandarin at an early age. Mandarin is one of the widest spoken languages in the world.
The article noted that the many American parents now request for nannies who are fluent not just in English. They particularly favor Chinese-speaking caregivers.
In the recent period, there has been a sharp increase in the demand for this kind of nannies in various areas, including San Francisco and New York. In the latter, nannies could even command a salary of $20,000 higher than the average.
According to childcare service agency Lifestyle Resources, a Chinese nanny was able to secure an annual salary of $70,000 after two families outbid her.
Arabella Kushner, the 5-year-old granddaughter of U.S. leader Donald Trump, is one of the many children in America who has received assistance from Chinese nannies. When Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Trump, she, together with her younger brother Joseph, sang "Jasmine Flower," a traditional Chinese song, and recited the Three Character Classic.
Nonetheless, having Chinese nannies is not the only way to learn Mandarin. Different community-based missionary schools and immersion elementary language institutions in the U.S. have been offering Mandarin classes.
Veteran Chinese teacher Yang Yanli told Red Star News that middle schools and colleges have already included optional foreign language courses in their curricula. She added that families can also hire a Chinese home tutor for their children.
"Students in many U.S. cities start to learn a foreign language--which is usually Spanish and French--in their seventh school year," Yang shared. "Because of China's development in recent years, many schools have begun offering Chinese classes, too. The number of students taking up optional Chinese classes is increasing in colleges, compared with years ago."
