Its definitely a culture thing. Its best shown by the Chinese parent's desire for their kids to play the piano.
Do you think Chinese parents make their kids learn piano because they themselves were inspired by Mozart and Chopin?
No, they learn piano because it is something that the kid can show off (to relatives, colleges, etc).
Are you referring to Chinese immigrants? Because if China is anything like India, kids would actually be discouraged to play the piano, as it would prove to be a "distraction from their studies."
You just put the numbers to music or make a rhyme - how much you want to bet there is a little industry making CD's for this?
But it is totally pointless. Learning to memorize stuff is useful, but learning to memorize a single thing isn't.