Leslie Chang was a Chinese American journalist who looked at the life's of the workers and what the thought themselves about migration in the city, especially focusing on the women, 'who had the most to gain when leaving the village and the most to loose'. Dongguan (THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER CITY) was one of the biggest cities that had the largest population of migrant workers across the Hong Kong border. The 'invisible' city to the outside world or a place without memory as things developed and changed so fast they could never keep track of it all. Most Journalist would write stories on the harsh conditions of the factories and exploited the exploitation of the Chinese migrants and how their cheap labour provides most of the leisure and electronic goods for our credit boom. I found myself not wanting to put this book down and found three hours had past and still I wanted to continue. It was interesting how Chang gave a different approach by observing the local buses noticing the divide between the sexes. Their one holiday a year, Chinese new year, young males and females ( never old people on the bus) carrying gifts for home as they head to the central railways station, the men still have that country look about them, where as the women were very different with their fashionable striking styles and often wearing heels for the long journey home.
"The young men on the bus smelled of gamy sweat, the scent of people who walked long distances outdoors ... The young women were immaculate; they never smelled, and their hair was always sleek and shiny."
Chang followed the life of the ' Factory Girls' and portrays the struggles and emotions the girls wen through when leaving the land. Their determination a
Their determination and drive to make a better life for themselves and their family, back on the land, shows the divide between the boys who work in the construction industry who show rather less drive enthusiasm. I respect her determination as a journalist and she obviously felt very strongly and determined to research their views as it appeared very hard to stay in contact with these girls. The girls would often not have mobile phones or just loose them. This must have been very worrying for the parents sending their 16 year old girl to a city of such dangers.
"At every stage they gave bad advice; they specialised in outdated knowledge and conservatism born out of fear ... But once a migrant got to the city, the parental message shifted dramatically: Send home money, the more the better."
Their traditional Chinese views were that the repayment to their parents this justified the children were grateful for the 'gift of their existence' which repaid their debt, for families bringing them up. It made me think that how our Western Views are very different and most households don't have to prove they are grateful through expense, but simply provide for their own children. Also the fact that most migrants associated the place where they came from with poverty and were often averse on the topic. Min one of the few girls that Chang stayed in contact with was different and was proud of where she came and described it as a place of beauty, much like our Western views. For he city girl they had to make fast decisions in many being venerable to cons artists, but it was their ambition and drive that got them through, their motivation were also similar to western counterparts, heading of on a gap year and learning to skills to develop themselves as many didn't receive a good education.
"To come out from home and work in a factory is the hardest thing they have ever done. It is also an adventure. What keeps them in the city is not fear but pride: to return home early is to admit defeat. To go out and stay out is to change your fate."
The City of Donggian was rapidly moving city, with 1.7 million factories were described as , the bus stops or trademarks of rapid constant expansion, hoping to deliver to the world faster than ever. it is believed that there are 10 million in the population of Dongguan, 7 million of them migrants some believe it is 8 million, the figures are unclear and this seems to grow one million a year and 7 million of these avoid paying their higher taxes. Dongguan's motto is 'one big city step every year another city in 5 years.' It was is growing that vastly growing that Government couldn't even keep track of the numbers. When Chang went to interview the Government she discovered they were all locals. I found it slightly disturbing that they ignored the migrants and the major did not have an accurate count for the migrant population. He also mentioned that there were a lack of resources to check the factories and they rely on the companies or the police to do so. The companies were responsible for the workers, training , etc. They initially mentioned the migrants workers were of a low quality then later contorted themselves saying they were of a , higher quality and accepted lower wages. This shows you how much control the Government has over the city and why there is not much equality between the migrants and the locals. The visions that Chang gave you when describing the city was of mass labour, morning exercises and booming slogans for example 'to die poor is a sin' ' through doing something you will learn it'
' If you don't work hard today you will look hard for work tomorrow. Job application would shortlist people by putting in the application thing such as ' Receptionist appearance and disposition', knows office software and Cantonese. " ''salesperson:female,grade four english''
Min was good example of how she got a job in a factory, had no experience or anything but simply because of her handwriting it should she had been educated, therefore resulting in employment. Employers discrimination was popular and sometimes state that people that came from a certain province need not even try to apply. Chang would see notice how fast some of the girl would move from job to job and was surprised they had to confidence to do so also. The fast growth of job flitting was resulting it in being hundreds of vacancies. And to lie about your experience was also an inimitable way to get a job. "No one in the factories of Dongguan had been properly educated for the task at hand, Chang also states that because of all this fast change China's education system suffered.
"The needs of the Chinese economy were changing so fast that the education system was not even trying to keep up anymore."
Many of the girls fins success, but this doesn't necessarily make them happy, or they could loose everything in a instance Wu Chungming was an example of this worked her way up from learning Cantonese and attending lecture, which helped her speak in a professional manner and have the confidence to do so. From starting of as a factory girl to chuanxiao company that charged new member one thousand yuan for a box of tradition Tibetan medicine, in result making forty-thousand yuan a month. This only lasted 2 months until the industry got out of control and people were getting greedy so the Government ceased the chuanxiao companies. Chang found herself jobless and back to where she started.
In looking into these many girls life's Chang realises a pattern occurring, with the girls stories and their own family migrations.At the very beginning to north east China, then to Tiwan and eventually the US, wherever the migration the danger and venerability do not change foe these girls, but neither does the opportunities and the girls continue from generations to hope to improve them and their families life's. As I read through the book it became clear that China's message to the girls was one for hope and happiness, to come to the big cities was to better your life and yourself and each and ever person believed they could accomplish this perfect lifestyle.
This is a book tries to understand China today, it helps you connect with the girls and the life they lead the two girls min and Wu that Chang got to know well were more independent minded than the average migrant.
"The migrant girls never asked me for help, and rarely even for advice. Life was something they faced alone, as they had been telling me from the first day we met. 'I can only rely on myself.'"
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