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Q: Why do lots of rich Americans come here to work?
I've met two Americans in the last year who are working here in China. One girl has been on a family holiday three times in the last year, her parents have actually paid to fly her from China to Hawaii and another time came to pick her up in Beijing to take her to Japan. The other guy I know has his dad pay for him to stay in the Hilton every time he travels to other cities in China.
My point being, why do they come here to work for low Chinese wages when they are obviously from affluent families? The girl has two degrees so could be teaching anywhere in Asia and beyond and the guy is well educated too.
What's the deal? They both work in the same low tier city, in the worst polluted province in China and work for lowish salaries.
Is it because life is easy here?
Is it just a working holiday to give them the feeling they are actually doing something for themselves?
Or what?
Your thoughts?
why work in america and give half your salary to a corrupt government, being productive does not produce any reward in america anymore, also the college graduates now will have a lower standard of living than their parents, nothing to live for in america any more. the country is going to go bankrupt and be a has been in the trash heap of history.
Rin:
Yeah, i just thought because they weren't on the bread line (meaning they have funds for start up as it can be expensive to live in Japan/Korea for a few months til you get your first pay cheque) with decent educations they could probably be teaching anywhere in Asia.
TedDBayer:
If you work in China and do not sever all your ties to home, no phone bills, bank accounts etc, you could still end up paying taxes when you go home. People end up loosing their homes for not doing so. I read about this happening to someone that kept getting Baby Bonus.
ambivalentmace:
yes, she was a great lady, met her in 1981 just before she passed away, ayn rand is not known very well by the younger generation, the entitlement mentality sort of makes her and old fashioned has been in the eyes of the youth culture today.
expatlife26:
What the hell are you talking about? Yeah better to give half our salary to the Chinese govt. They aren't corrupt! If someone has a lower standard than their parents they have only themself to blame for not going to school for more marketable skills. The living standard in america is WAY better than for the chinese. Only thing there is here are girls that go for bitter foreign washouts, simply BECAUSE they come from a rich country and command a higher salary than your average zhou. Nobody likes taxes...but really taxes in america are lower than practically everywhere else. You can complain about taxes and 'go galt' all you want...but I want the best life I can and if that means working long hours for slightly less (inflation adjusted) than my dad would have made...it's still the best I can do and I'm still gonna hold my head high.
ambivalentmace:
expatlife26
making 3000 dollars a month in rmb with no taxes and free housing, the only payment is phone 13 dollars a month and food. how much after taxes, rent, insurance would i have to make in america to save and keep 2500 dollars a month. china may not be great, but my bank account is a hell of a lot better and i keep my money in canada while the dollar keeps falling, life is good , keep the faith, i gave up on america after fighting in a uniform for the country, about 2028 when the baby boom is over things will get better for the next generation, but this generation is screwed.
Like anything else, it depends on the individuals involved. Perhaps they like to travel? Perhaps they like the independence of being away from their families? Perhaps they want to learn Chinese, and figured that a low-tier city would be a wonderful place to do it? Maybe they are playing the long game--it is easy for young people in China to get promoted to management positions in their jobs here. They can get those positions FAR more quickly here than in their home countries. And, if they spend a year in those positions...it makes for great resume padding later, if you are good at spin work.
"RICH" by whose standards ? Have you ever heard of credit cards?. I will give you an example. My current income barely puts me a few thou above current poverty levels in USA. But here in China, everyone considers me "super rich". Now, explain that !
expatlife26:
I'm curious where do you live that your income is regarded as super rich if it's barely above the US poverty line? I don't say this to be mean but that's probably a fallacy. You might be able to buy more cheap consumer goods than low-income locals, but are you in a position to make investments? I mean a good income should mean you are in a position to buy ASSETS not consumables, and frankly in most developed places in china that means the same thing it does in the US...six figure USD income minimum. Seriously, you must live someplace where there are no professional expats to compare yourself too. It might be fun at first...but you're gonna permanently fall behind your peer group if you only hang out with people who think ESL teachers are "super rich".
I don't think anyone can give the right answer to this except for those 2 themselves. It However, it sounds to me like you are judging them thinking they shouldn't be here since they are from a good background. People from a good background and with a good education can do a lot of good here in this society so I personally think it could be a great thing.
They come for the women, same as everyone else, but being rich, they just get more.
I originally came for fun, then came back figuring I could live cheap, but spent on average $5000 a month. My first trip I spent that each week.
Possibly doing research for their parents business back home or they are looking to set up a company here. Just ask them directly, all we can do is speculate.
Maybe they, like me, came here to live an adventure. Maybe they are curious about the world. Maybe they just want to learn about the world. You cannot really understand a place without living there. Even if you live there it can still take a long time to understand.
You met two people who could afford to travel, and that equates to being rich and a lot?
bayuvar139:
I agree with you! Perhaps Rin could answer why he/she is here, LOL.
Rin:
I'm here finishing my bachelors and gaining some experience in Asia as a stepping stone to Japan
I do not know why so many rich Americans come to China to work. However, perhaps you have some preconceived and wrong ideas about 'rich Americans. Perhaps you could explain what your idea of 'rich Americans' means,
Not every person that comes from an affluent family is defined by that particular socioeconomic dynamic.
As an example; my mothers family in the USA is quite affluent. They own significant chunks of Eli Lily, ConAgra, and several other companies. However, almost every person I knew as a child whom based their fate on the financial status of our family is now either a drunk, drug addict, a lunatic [literally], etc.. or some conglomeration of the aforementioned. It is for that reason that I have NEVER used my family for anything except emotional and spiritual support. I can make my own fate. Maybe these people are the same way.
I think you have a strange idea of what rich is. From what you described, I would never conclude that those individuals were rich. I need more info than that! My guess is you're not from America or the UK. Anyways, rich people like to travel too.
Oh come on, no one's going for the obvious? Their parents want them here to learn Chinese because they still think it's the next big thing, but they actually stay for the sex. And don't tell me it's just the guy that this applies to!
