Early Policies


Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the economic situation has been unstable, and many cities were destroyed due to war. In order to strengthen the new China, the government announced a series of early urban policies between 1949 and 1959. My hometown, Kaiping, is located in southern China and near the sea. Because of its good location, it has played an important role in the development of the economy. The government decided to expand Kaiping’s economy through commercial activities. In addition, the government encouraged population growth to develop Kaiping. These early policies have deeply influenced my grandfather’s family structure, immigration, and my life.


One effect of the early policies was that my grandfather grew up in a very large family. In the 1950s, the new government urgently needed more labor to develop the city. Therefore, it encouraged families to have more children. My grandfather was born at that time, and he had seven brothers and three sisters. Population growth helped Kaiping rebuild as quickly as possible. Additionally, my grandfather’s family earned enough to support eleven children. Kaiping was known as the hometown of Chinese people living abroad. At the same time, many of them returned to Kaiping and made efforts to rebuild it. They donated a lot of money and started companies to provide job opportunities. My great-grandfather worked in a company and received a stable salary every month. Because of this, the family gradually became a large family with many members, but they were not poor.


Kaiping

Another effect of the early policies was that my grandfather moved to the United States. Because the family had many children, and they relied on each other, they also shared opportunities and resources for going abroad. Since the 1980s, the eldest brother, along with his wife, has moved to Chicago. They worked in a restaurant and sent money back to support his other siblings. My grandfather’s family gradually moved to Chicago one by one. Moreover, some relatives who lived in Chicago provided assistance with money and employment. For example, they introduced some employers to them and helped them find jobs. This allowed the family to live better as new immigrants. Finally, my grandfather moved to Chicago with the family’s help and became a citizen in 2008.



After my grandfather applied for my family’s immigration, I moved to Chicago in 2024, and my life changed. During these years, my grandfather died, and the government stopped all immigration applications because of COVID. My grandmother replaced my grandfather and helped us complete the other steps. After waiting for a long time, my mother, her husband, and I passed the interview and eventually moved to Chicago. My mother’s relatives have helped us a lot with work, housing, and other aspects of life. Meanwhile, my life has changed. I am able to study in Chicago even though I have not graduated from a university in China. I also find a part-time job to support myself, which I had never done before in China. I met new friends, a new environment, and faced new issues. For me, it is a new life that the large family has given me.



Early national policies influenced many generations of my family. They shaped my grandfather’s family, and every member in this family would help each other. Besides, due to these policies, my grandfather, my mother, and I moved to Chicago, and our lives have changed. In the future, I believe that my education, career choices, and even the next generation of my family may continue to be shaped by these historical policies.






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