Overseas Chinese contributed to China’s development before – and can do so again
Chi Wang says generations of overseas Chinese supported each other and the country during tough times, and this is something the younger generation – and President Xi Jinping – should remember amid calls for ‘national rejuvenation’
Encouraged first by my parents and later by China’s Ministry of Education, I planned to study hard and return to China to continue my education.
Because of our shared experiences, overseas Chinese cared just as much about other Chinese living outside the mainland as for the families they left behind. Many overseas Chinese offered me support throughout my younger days: jobs, opportunities, places to live. No matter their wealth or social status, people felt connected by our shared culture and community. When I was still a student, the unofficial “mayor” of Chinatown in Washington offered me a free room. This was the culture of old overseas Chinese.
How overseas Chinese answered China’s call to return ‘home’, but couldn’t take the culture shock and left, many for Hong Kong
Today, hundreds of thousands of young Chinese come to the US to study or do business. However, today, those lucky enough to study abroad are usually the privileged few, supported by wealthy families. They are not coming from war. Living in wealthy neighbourhoods, these young elite go abroad to make money for themselves, not for China. They only associate with other elite – then complain about a tough life in America. This is a stark change from the communities of my student days. When I arrived in 1949, Chinese students had no wealthy families to cushion us. The help we received from the overseas community gave us the assistance we needed to survive. No matter our differences in economic status, my countrymen helped me feel I was surrounded by family. Young wealthy students now don’t behave the same.