Unseen Effect

I thought my friend (Taiwanese) was just kidding when she told me about her life story. She was born in China and her Mom fled to Taiwan when she’s only few months old. Her Mom married her high school sweetheart. She became their first born child. Since it is bad luck to the family if the eldest is a girl- the in-laws decided to throw the baby (her) to the river. Her Mom can’t do it and so she escaped, moved to Taiwan and never looks back. At the same token, I was in disbelief when my Uncle told me about his brother whom he never seen for a long time since they got separated during the war. He was born in China too and fled to the Philippines by boat. Well, I was young then and thought all those stories are just mere myth.

After watching the film, “China’s Stolen Children” I finally realized that the stories of my friend and Uncle were true. The film had touched the most familiar problem in China after the implementation of “One Child” Policy and the cultural preferences for son. It was even more interesting how it created a social imbalance to their society and how money had played a big part of the problem. With all the China’s booming economy and a few controversial Gold medalists during the Olympics- it seemed as though the country can’t hide itself anymore. With its rapid transformation, the disturbing stories of lost children and abuse reflect a society disoriented by its vivid transformation, struggling between tradition and ideology, where humanity is abridged to a marketable commodity. In short, it’s all about money.