11:51 PM
Jiang Wenjun was getting ready to go to America. His wife, due to
give birth to their son any day, was already there. Like any expectant
parents, the Shanghai couple agonized over how best to prepare for the
arrival — and upbringing — of their firstborn child. American
citizenship, they decided, was one of the finest gifts they could
bestow. “America is the strongest country in the world,” says Jiang,
whose son was born just days after he eventually arrived in California this month. “We want our child to have the best future.”
The U.S. is one of the few nations where simply being born on its
soil confers citizenship on a newborn. That policy has spawned a
birth-tourism industry, in which pregnant foreigners flock to American hospitals
to secure U.S. passports for their babies. Although the foreign couple
can’t acquire U.S. nationality themselves, once their American-born
offspring turn 21 they can theoretically sponsor their parents for
future U.S. citizenship. Another perk: these American-born kids can take
advantage of the U.S. education system, even paying lower in-state fees
for public universities, depending on where they were delivered.
(California is a popular birth-tourism destination because of its
well-known university system.)
More rich Chinese than ever are sending their families and money
abroad. One study of Chinese millionaires found that half had either
emigrated or were thinking of doing so. Boston Consulting Group
estimates that Chinese have some $450 billion stockpiled overseas.
What’s driving the exodus? Some wealthy citizens are spooked about the
impact of an anticorruption campaign on their murkily sourced income.
Others worry about the long-term risks of raising their kids in a
polluted environment with dirty air, water and food. The pressure-cooker
atmosphere of Chinese schools
makes overseas schooling attractive. And even though China’s draconian
one-child policy is being loosened, some couples feel it’s easier to
give birth overseas and circumvent meddling by Chinese family-planning
bureaucrats.
All of which has led to a proliferation of so-called anchor babies.
At least 10,000 such Chinese babies were born in America last year,
according to an estimate by an online platform dedicated to monitoring
and rating confinement centers for Chinese women giving birth in the
States. Naturally, a thriving business catering to these tiny foreign
passport holders has developed. The Jia Mei Canadian and American Baby
Counseling Services Center, with offices across China, charges between
$30,000 and $40,000 to women who want to deliver babies in the States.
The fee includes a plane ticket, accommodation in Los Angeles or Chicago
in a two- or three-bedroom apartment or house, plus all the citizenship
paperwork for the newborn. Women spend two months in the U.S. before
delivery and one month postpartum. Nannies, drivers and a chef will be
shared among three women, promises Jia Mei. Of course, Chinese-speaking
doctors will be on call.
Last month, Jia Mei, which has been in business for seven years,
helped eight clients give birth in the U.S. and another six in Canada,
according to an employee surnamed Lu. The agency’s extensive website
features pictures of cheerful blond kids — though it’s not clear how the
average Chinese couple will produce such a child. A 24-hour online
hotline allows clients in the U.S. or China to write in with any
question they might have. The agency even offers a primer on how the
U.S. welfare system works and recommends the best organic beauty
products for pregnant Chinese staying in the States.
Jiang and his wife, the Shanghai couple, didn’t use an agency. An
English-speaking sales manager, his wife simply procured a business visa
to the U.S. — something she had successfully done before — and set up
camp in Rowland Heights, Calif. The L.A. County community, among others,
has become notorious for a proliferation of “maternity hotels” for
privileged expectant mothers from China. Jiang’s wife has hired a nanny
for her son and expects to return to Shanghai with the newborn in a
month’s time, after the U.S.-passport paperwork is completed.
China doesn’t allow for dual citizenship, so American-born babies
will have to procure Chinese residency through sometimes shady means.
(Yes, there are plenty of agencies that help with that task as well.)
There are other catches. Eventually, young Americans, even those living
abroad, are supposed to file tax returns and possibly pay taxes,
something that’s not widely known among many Chinese parents. Jia Mei’s
website, for instance, doesn’t mention this potential financial
obligation.
Jiang, 31, doesn’t expect his son to return to America until he’s in
junior high school and can profit from the relative freedom of the U.S.
education system. But his wife has so enjoyed her time in California
that she’s considering adjusting their timetable. “My wife thinks the
air in L.A. is very good, and the food safety is good,” he says. “The
weird thing is that many products are actually cheaper in America than
in China. Maybe it makes sense for my son to live there sooner rather
than later.”
— With reporting by Chengcheng Jiang / Beijing
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