Mayor Jerry Fried: Calling All Hosts

Montclair will be experiencing a Chinese invasion later this month - an invasion of Chinese students seeking a feel for life in America. Mayor Jerry Fried, who took a 15-day trip to the most populous country in the world in May, is asking for Montclair families willing to host 24 Chinese high school students, as well as two Chinese teachers, the week beginning July 22nd.

"It would be nice to find families with kids in high school so that the Chinese students can get to know what life is like for people their own age over here," Fried said.

Amelie Tseng said she and her two sons, Dylan and Brandon Lewis, have offered their home.

"The kids and I would like to host a student from China because it will help them connect with someone who lives on the other side of the world who also shares their Chinese heritage," she said. "[My sons] think it would be cool because they will not only get to learn about how their counterparts in China live, but they can also teach their counterparts many of our customs and favorite activities here in the U.S. - which probably means lots of computer and video games.

"Most importantly, it will also give them a chance to practice the Chinese they learned at Glenfield [Middle School] as well as at Tzu Chi University," she added.

Fried said that host families only need to provide a room and breakfast, as well as a few dinners.

"We will be providing activities for the students each day," he said, adding that they would visit Montclair State University, the Montclair Art Museum, and the Municipal offices.

The students also will attend a New Jersey Jackals baseball game at Yogi Berra Stadium as well as tour New York City over the weekend.

Even better, perhaps, host families will have the chance to send their own children to China next summer as part of the ongoing cultural exchange.

"We want to send a certain number of Montclair high school students to China next summer for a week or so," Fried said.

Fried said he's pleased that the students are coming so soon - on China's dime. He said it's just the first step in his long-term plan to build economic and educational ties between Montclair and China.

While in China, the mayor met with officials from seven municipalities – Guangrao, Dongying, Binzhou, Jinan, Wuhan, Deyang, and Fuling– and visited three different schools.

Taxpayers did not pay for the mayor's trip. Rather, he was a guest of the city of Guangrao. Luther Flurry, vice president of the Montclair Business Improvement District, accompanied the mayor, a trip paid for by private donors.

If you are interested in hosting a Chinese student or teacher, please email Mayor Fried at jfried@montclairnjusa.org.