Michelle Chen, Angel Dong, and Xiaonan Li are known as 'study mums' within the Chinese community for accompanying their young children to Australia for education. They say all "study mothers deserve applause" for the financial hardship, language barriers, personal relationship issues, and moments of profound loneliness they endure in a new country.
Dong's father was in the hospital for three months due to kidney failure and cerebral infarction before she moved to Australia. Though he has recovered, Dong still worries about him, as she can not leave Australia to visit her parents. Xiaonan Li, 42, arrived in Brisbane in 2023 with her daughter, Rita, on a subclass 590 Student Guardian visa.