It used to be when the population was spiraling out of control faster than infrastructure and economy could keep up. A new middle-class of sorts rose up and people stopped having kids like everywhere else in the world. So now they have raised the limit to three and are throwing in a bundle of incentives and benefits but even that’s not increasing birth rates.
A lot of countries are facing aging populations and a smaller young workforce and it’s going to wreck economic production for literally everyone. There’s a reason for the huge push for robotics in elderly care across much of Asia.
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
It used to be, at the time I was born.
My mom was in Guangzhou when she had me. I don’t know exactly what happened, I don’t exact understand everything my mom told me, but apprantly either (1) they didn’t manage to find her, or (2) there was some jurisdiction issue that can only be enforced in Taishan (台山), where she was from, because she told me that she was told to go back and she refused, or maybe (3) they government found out about the pregnancy too late.
I’m still unsure. My mom doesn’t like talking about it when I push further on the topic. I think it was her village responsible to enforce it, and since she was in Guangzhou (its a city), I think they just didn’t bother to enforce the abortion. Honestly I’m still confused as hell how I survived it.
My mom told me that after I was born, my existence was pretty much safe, since I assume it’s hard to order people to terminate a crying baby vs a fetus. So anyways… I lived.
My mom told me she got sterilized afterwards.
The fines were that, if my parents didn’t pay the fines, I don’t get legal papers. Basically like an illegal immigrant in my own country. So kids basically got punished for just… existing… they didn’t even choose to exist.
But my parents paid the fine, luckily. It was hard to save up for the money to pay.
T3CHT@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Thanks for sharing your story. I’ve heard of one child policy but never from a 2nd child’s perspective.
Your story is a disturbing parallel to modern immigrant stories in the US, as well as others, im sure.
Healthcare is just one step above having a safe place to be in terms of human need, but places/governments that cant meet childrens basic needs in modern society are worth shaming.
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
I’m also one of them. I’m here in the US right now, I know how it is.
When I had Chinese Language class in the US when I was in highschool (it was a mandatory world language thin where you need 2 credits), I remember there was a presentation thing that I have to introduce myself in Chinese (which I already know lol, that’s why I picked it over spanish), I told the class my family immigrated to the US when I was 8, then I think some kids whose parents are from Fujian were shocked my family came legally. Judging by their reaction, I think some of them, well, their parents at least, were probably unauthorized or maybe they struggled to get legal status. I think the kids themselves were born here, or at least they never admitted that they themselved came without permission, so I assume they are born here. One of my classmates, he was an acquaintance of mine (I wouldn’t really call a “friend”) and he told me his dad got into a bar fight and got deported… so he is just dadless… I felt kinda guilty my family is still together.
The first few years in the US, yea that was rough. I was in Brooklyn. My parents signed me up for afterschool programs so they can work longer. Basically treated that as free childcare lol. I remember that day when the first day of afterschool programs start. It was tuesdays and thursdays from dismissal at 3PM to 4 PM. My mom forgot to tell me.
So I, didn’t speak english at the time, I kinda just cried for an entire hour… I’m seeing this in my memory… like in 3rd person view and I just remember that scene. Didn’t know what was going on, I thought I got in trouble for something. Like… poor kid, I feel bad just observing the memory.
Later on, the afterschool stuff expanded to some ESL classed to like 4:45PM on tues and thurs days. Then I got added to some non-profit Chinese American afterschool program thing… and that was the part I kinda hated the most. A lot of ethnic Chinese kids. Lots of them ABCs (“American-born Chinese”). Their parents are probably busy working too.
I basically remained quiet for the first two years of this. I only talked to kids that spoke Cantonese. Just being invisible for the rest of the time.
Later on, when I learned some English, I still kinda kept my shy personality. Even the English-only ABCs that were foreign to me. I remember some of them bullied me. I still, sort of, remember some of their faces.
I often got picked up last at school. That scene is sad when I recall the memory. 6:30 PM, the clock continues ticking, sky getting dark.
I remember the sun just gone from the sky by the time my mom and I got to our front door of the rented house.
The healthcare thing… yea… I’m trying to find a psychaitrist right now… it sucks… Hard to find one that’s taking new patients and also take your insurance.
A few years ago. My dad had some stomach issue and went to the hospital for like a few months, the bill was so big lmao. Like I think the bill was 4 or 5 digits before the decimal point or something. Luckily, we were insured. Still not a small sum, even then.
That said, overall, our lives improved after we came to the US (we moved around 2010). As for the undocumented… oh yea that’s fucked. I could imagine the families being torn apart. I remember my classmates situation. I bet some of their families probably got separated under this admin’s cruel crackdowns. We got very lucky to be able to just come here legally.
T3CHT@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
You are on a tough path and I hope you succeed. Im glad to count you as a fellow citizen here and I hope it gets better for everyone here.
MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 1 month ago
Thank you so much for sharing your story.
I’m grateful to your mom, and I’m glad you’re here. <3