Should overseas Chinese elderly return to China?

Hometown is the most affectionate, and its scenery is unique.

Being deeply attached to the motherland, they are the first generation of overseas immigrants. In fact, their hometown and motherland are indeed the last stop for their long-distance return. They are often not professionals, do not have foreign university diplomas, and their foreign languages are not very good, so they always have no sense of belonging abroad. Especially after retirement, there are not many friends from China and foreign friends, and the loneliness of the first generation of immigrants is even stronger.

The survey found that among North American Chinese who intend to buy a house in China, the first generation immigrants account for the highest proportion, reflecting that the traditional concept of "seeking roots" still dominates their thinking. After returning home, Sun Shixing, an old man who has worked hard in Canada for many years, said excitedly, "When you are old, you want to come back. Our economy is developing rapidly and our society is stable, so it is more convenient for us old people to keep our local accents. "

Old man: Don't panic if you have a room in your hand.

People in China like to save money, and many older people in China have also taken this habit overseas. Even living in western countries where social welfare is generally high, continuous saving is still a daily necessity.

For example, in Canada, many China people will start planning their retirement at the age of 40 or even earlier. According to a survey, nearly 60% of Chinese in Canada believe that their savings are enough to provide them with food and clothing after retirement.

The savings concept of the older generation of China people often pays more attention to "dead money" and does not regard savings as an investment means; Western ideas put more emphasis on "using money". Bian Xiao suggested that the older generation of China people might as well consult some professionals and make some reasonable financial investments with their help to make their retirement life more stable and worry-free.

Apart from saving, "housing for the aged", a common means of providing for the aged in Europe and America, has gradually been accepted by China groups. Ms. Zhou came to Canada with her husband 20 years ago, opened a Chinese medicine clinic in Calgary, and accumulated a certain scale of family business. When it comes to providing for the aged, she said, "My husband and I both think that the house is the most reassuring investment. In addition to receiving a pension, I can also collect rent every month and live comfortably. If you are too old to take care of yourself, you can sell one or two sets and take money to live in a pension apartment. " But at the same time, she also expressed another urgent wish: "I still want to go back to China. The older you get, the more you think. My hometown is in Suzhou, so I can't work for a few more years. As soon as the house is sold back to Suzhou, I will watch flowers and listen to pingtan. "

The ideal is full, the reality is very skinny

Although many times before retirement, I imagined the scene of returning to China after retirement, but various practical problems have made many people have a lot of concerns before they take the foot of returning to China. To sum up, Bian Xiao mainly has the following points:

1, medical problems: getting sick is inevitable when people are old. Free medical care for all in Canada, although the scheduling problem has been criticized by everyone, it is free after all. There is no economic pressure in this regard, as long as it is not an abnormal emergency, it can be handled satisfactorily. However, when you leave Canada, these benefits will be invalid, and when you return to Chinese mainland, you must pay for medical care and medicines. Once the elderly are seriously ill, how can they afford it?

2. Interpersonal relationship: After living in Canada for a long time, people have become accustomed to the relatively simple thinking of foreigners and adapted to the simple interpersonal relationship here. Can they adapt to the complex domestic world again?

3. Food safety and environmental problems: the quality of food and water in Chinese mainland has repeatedly sounded the safety alarm; In recent years, it has aggravated the serious smog pollution. Accustomed to the blue sky, white clouds and clean air in our maple leaf country, can you adapt to the domestic natural environment? Many chinese canadians people often feel that the air pollution is serious and their voices are uncomfortable after returning to China for a few days. If they really leave home, can they bear the long-term breathing and drinking problems?

The above three major concerns have made overseas Chinese elderly people really hesitate to return.

However, in fact, whether to return to China to support the elderly or not, overseas Chinese need to make a comprehensive evaluation from the aspects of economic situation, happiness index, living habits and domestic children (daughter-in-law or son-in-law) in order to choose the most suitable way to support the elderly.