A test prep center used to advertise exclusively in Chinese language papers and catered to an Asian clientele with a web site in Chinese. It made sense, 97 percent of its students were Chinese.
Today, 20 years later, that percentage has decreased to 70 percent and Elma Moy’s centers now features a web site almost entirely in English and English language ads in parenting magazines. She now counts children of white lawyers, bankers and artists as a big part of her target customers.
“We are looking for kids from all different backgrounds,” explained her daughter Olympia to the NY Times.
As more white families have moved into lower Manhattan and even Chinatown, the business strategies of these so called cram centers have also changed.
“To grow, they have to open their markets,” said Dr. Margaret Chin, an an associate professor of sociology at Hunter College.
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You can read more about the changing nature of New York’s test prep centers in the NY Times.
