This year, at least 12 Chinese Americans were among the 40 finalists of the Regeneron Science Talent Search (Regeneron STS), the oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors in the U.S., Xinhua reported.

Eleven Chinese Americans were among the 40 finalists last year. Dubbed the “Nobel Prize for high school seniors,” the science-themed competition has attracted a lot of attention among parents and students from the Chinese community in the US.

Senior student Maggie Chen from Canyon Crest Academy was selected for her thesis “Cell Membrane-Coated Nanodevice for Anti-Virulence Therapy against Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria.”

Chen’s discovery will help kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria without using antibiotics, which will be very useful in the US, a country seriously affected by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The outstanding performance of the Chinese American students is closely related to their talent, but more to their hard work and altitude toward learning. Researchers said young Asian Americans are always taught that diligence matters more than talent by their parents.

Parental education also matters. Asian American parents usually spend the most time supervising their children’s homework.

According to British media reports, Chinese education is regarded as “superior” to Western education. For many middle-class parents in the West, the superiority of Chinese education has become a myth, which makes them afraid that their children may become less competitive than their Chinese counterparts.