Young and Restless in China

For May, our class had to watch a Frontline film on the new generation of China and their conflicts, feelings, and thoughts on the state of their nation. Prior to watching this film, I had believed many stereotypes that America had come to believe as true. For example, I thought that rural areas were devoid of any technology, and would probably stay that way. I was proved wrong by this film when Zhanyan's parents, who were poor farmers, were able to call her. Technology has boomed in China, and many people, including me, have not realized this. China is still progressing just as fast as it was 20 years ago. It still has a long way to go, but then again so does America. Another thing that this film helped me think about was how our western ideas and ideals can affect the way we judge the people of China. This thought came about when the businessmen were talking about corruption and how it was embedded in their culture. Morally yes it is wrong, but that does not mean that as Americans we have any right to judge, because just as many companies in America are corrupt. That is one of my goals for this trip: to keep my mind open, free of any preconceived notions or judgements because I have no right to that if I do not fully understand their situation.

Another thing that intrigued me about this documentary was the severe gap between social and geographical placement. The rapper was the one to point out the social differences first, explaining how a girl would not be interested unless you had money. He also went on to show how there was actually discrimination against those who were poor in the streets of Beijing. The only problem is, the situation may only get worse. Zhanyan is an example of this. She is poor, and aspires to better herself, but due to lack of resources that will never happen. on the other side of the scale, Ben Wu, who has American investors and a college education can live comfortably for the rest of his life off of his Internet cafe business.The differences between rural and city life can also be seen in this film. Those who farm and take care of animals receive far less than those in the cities who work on businesses. yet if everyone moved to the city there would be no food, causing a famine that would bring China to its knees. And so, over 50% of the population sacrifices their chance of bettering themselves in order to fuel the growing economy, whose benefits may never be experienced by the very foundation of the whole nation.

My favorite character from Frontline's "Young and Restless in China" was Zhanyan. She worked so hard to better herself, trying to stick to her culture, but in the end she realizes that she will not find happiness in this way. So she goes against all of what her culture dictates, all for love and a dream of progress. Doing that takes a lot of courage, and I really admired that about her.