First of all, if parents have brought a lot of luggage during their trip to the United States, they don't have to bring anything from China. Parents can buy a Thankyou card in a local supermarket or gift shop in the United States, write some words of thanks in Chinese, and then let their children translate in English and sign their names. Actually, it's a good gift.
Of course, many parents want to give some gifts with their own national characteristics. For example, Korean parents usually send small objects made of colored shells, while China parents send fans and tea. If every parent thinks so, then a teacher may have many of the same things at home. How can gifts be more novel? I can give a few examples.
For example, some students or parents are good at calligraphy or painting, so they buy a blank fan, hand-draw patterns or write calligraphy on it, and some even stick paper-cut patterns on it. This is a very interesting gift. The most important principle here is to spend your time and mind on this gift, and the gift you participate in is the best, rather than simply buying an expensive gift. Another example is that students made a creative clay sculpture according to the teacher's photo, which is also very popular. Some students bought a set of China's Facebook, and one or two of them were blank. The students designed their own Facebook, which looks like the teacher's. It is also interesting to draw it in the blank.
Many parents like to send tea. First of all, you should know whether the teacher drinks tea. Many Americans drink coffee instead of tea all their lives. Besides, Americans who drink tea generally drink black tea instead of green tea. Tea is also packaged with tea, and they have no habit of making tea. So what's their attitude towards a good pot of Longjing? Here I will tell you a personal experience, and I hope you can draw inferences. I have a student from Colombia. When she graduated, she gave me a bag of top-class coffee beans from Colombia, which she brought back from home. It took a lot of thought. But the bag of coffee beans stayed in my house for almost a year, and finally it was given to another teacher when I moved. I think the way I look at that bag of coffee beans is the way many American teachers look at tea. They don't like it, and they don't have tools to drink (I don't have a coffee pot for grinding coffee beans, just like an American teacher doesn't have a tea set for making tea).
So what do Americans give each other? Generally speaking, there are the following types:
Iphone-related accessories, such as mobile phone case and mobile phone amplifier, are very popular with young teachers.
Soap, especially handmade soap, is very popular. Generally, gift shops will sell beautifully packaged and beautifully carved soap sets.
Candles, especially scented candles, pumpkins, ginger candy, or related candle products, such as candlesticks. Flowers, not cut flowers we see in China, are potted flowers, which are sold in many supermarkets in the United States. Because many American families have their own small yards, people are very keen on gardening and like to take care of these plants.
Small ornaments can bring their own national style and are not expensive. It should be noted that American gifts are very packaged, usually in a gift bag, and usually accompanied by colorful gift paper. A bag filled with gift paper will look full and stylish.
Wine-related gifts are also very popular, such as a red wine set, including bottle opener, steel wine stopper and even winetraveler, which are all good choices. These can be bought in local gift shops in the United States, and it is very appropriate to match them with thank-you cards written by yourself.