“Our dignity is disregarded, and our rights are stripped away. The freedom to choose how many children is restricted by the country.”
我们是不被尊重的，我们的权利被剥夺了。生育的自由居然还要受到国家的限制。
This statement comes from an interview with my uncle, Zheng Shanyuan, in China. Conducted via the Chinese messaging app WeChat, a voice call was arranged to discuss his experiences with the One Child Policy in China.
Officially carried out in 1980 by the central government of China, the one-child policy was designed to minimize the rapid growth of China’s vast population. This policy restricted families in the country to having only one child each. The program remained in effect until 2016, after which all Chinese couples were permitted to have two children. The initiative for birth control and family planning began during the establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949, but substantial action didn’t occur until the 1970s. Initially, China successfully implemented a birth control campaign with the slogan “Late, Long, and Few,” emphasizing delayed marriage and childbirth, as well as spacing births by at least three years. This campaign reduced population growth by half between 1970 and 1976. However, from 1976 to 1980, the government shifted its focus to encouraging families to have no more than two children, followed by the one-child per family policy.
Consequences of the policy:
- Disproportionate ratio between males and females, with a 3% to 4% higher number of males than females
- Reduction in the number of children available to support the growing population of elderly individuals after their retirement
- Underreporting of children beyond the first child
“The family’s bloodline is crucial, traditionally passed down through male heirs. Females are not typically considered for this role.”
血脉传承的观念在许多家族中被视为至关重要，通常是通过男性来延续。
The older generation highly values something they call their bloodline, a concept deeply rooted in Chinese feudal history. This ideology reflects male superiority and female inferiority (男尊女卑), where men hold a noble status while women are considered to have a humble position. Women are expected to excel in managing the family and fulfilling their roles as good wives and mothers, while men traditionally handle political matters.
In this context, having a boy is often seen as a great blessing, with a girl being seen as an additional joy. However, without a boy, it is believed that a girl may not even be able to provide essential help in times of need, as expressed in the saying “couldn’t even send charcoal in snowy weather” (有了儿子，女儿就是锦上添花，没有儿子，女儿连雪中送炭都做不到). This belief reinforces the notion that only men can carry on the ancestral bloodline.
“Having only one child in a family, especially if that child is a girl, means the family lineage ends right there. In ancient times, families were typically filled with numerous descendants, but in our era, we are restricted to having only one child.”
让一个家庭只有一个孩子，如果这孩子是女孩，就意味着族谱在我这一代中断了。在古代，家族通常是子孙满堂的，但在我们这一代却只能容许一个孩子。
While I couldn’t see Uncle Zheng’s face, I could hear his tone rising and speaking at a relatively faster pace. I sensed he was filled with confusion and frustration that a government policy could lead to the end of a “family tree” they believed was inherited only by males.
This graph illustrates the decline in birth rates during the one-child policy. A clear comparison is presented between the periods before and after the policy was implemented.
From ancient times, there was a cherished blessing known as “子孙满堂” (zǐ sūn mǎn táng), which symbolized the prosperity of a large family and the growth of the population. Families desired to have numerous children, especially sons, as it was believed to bring fortune and abundance. This tradition has endured, with many families aspiring to have many descendants. However, with the implementation of the one-child policy, achieving this has become challenging. Families now face fines for having more than one child, making it a financial burden, particularly for those who are not wealthy. This has turned the once-desired notion of having more children into a luxury that not all families can afford.
If a household has more than one child, the parent must pay a fine for every child after the first one. Failure to do so would render the additional children ineligible for registration in the national household system, thereby denying them of crucial social services such as healthcare and education.
“Lu says he paid a 4,000 yuan fine to have his second son in 2006 (about $500 at the time), after hiding his wife for months” -Emily Feng
https://www.npr.org/2021/06/21/1008656293/the-legacy-of-the-lasting-effects-of-chinas-1-child-policy
My uncle shared, “My first child is your cousin sister. In many families, the birth of a girl leads to abandonment. We, however, refused to do that. She is our child; how could we ever consider rejecting her? Still, we hoped for a son. When your aunt learned she was pregnant with your cousin brother, despite the potential fines, we were overjoyed.”
我第一个孩子就是你表姐。很多家庭一看到第一个是女孩就会抛弃她。但我们绝对不舍得这样做，因为她是我们的孩子，我们怎么能说不要就不要呢？不过，我们还是希望家里有个男孩子。所以，当你舅妈怀上你表弟的时候，尽管要交罚金，我们还是非常开心。
Although Uncle Zheng expressed that he welcomed cousin sister, I sensed a hint of regret that the first child was not cousin brother.
In the background, there is a propaganda poster illustrating a family with just one child. It includes phrases like “Only child,” “eugenics,” “late marriage,” and “late pregnancy.” The purpose of this poster is to persuade people to have only one child.