The Daily Show’s Segment on the “Confucius Classroom”

As we’ve blogged before, there is a growing interest in America amongst parents, kids and college students studying Chinese due to explosive economic growth of China — with local and state budgets shrinking, many communities are challenged to fund their schools properly.

Perhaps recognizing this, the Chinese government has been funding and subsidizing Chinese language and culture programs known as the “Confucius Classroom” in the United States the past few years. Given the xenophobic nature of some misguided Americans these days, many are up in arms over this. The Daily Show’s “news correspondent” Asiv Mandi does a hilarious investigative piece on such a program in Hacienda Heights, California earlier this week on the ridiculousness that these Chinese language and culture programs may spread Communistic ideals to students – especially since the curriculum is public and open for review, and that all teaching is being done by certificated California teachers.

True to Daily Show fashion, the opponent of the program comes across as a complete idiot while being interviewed. Jay Chen, a vice-president of the school board and an Asian American born-and-raised in Hacienda Heights, does a dignified job of defending the program and dismissing Mandi’s humorous attempts to get Chen to admit he’s a Chinese turncoat. And I just love how the kids respond to Asiv Mandi’s line of questioning.