Effects of Reflections Migrant Urban The “Master’s” on the Role of Inside: Cities . . . 4 Migration . . . 6 Embarrassment . . . 8 Migrant Labor . . . 10 Transformation . . . 12
Winter 2004 Vol. 6 No. 4 Against the Storm Three Chinese peasant children amidst the largest population shift in world history Mark Wendling
he migrants are hated because they are an ignorant and dirty people, they are carri- ers of disease; they increase the necessity for police and the tax bill for schooling in a community. Mark Wendling They are never “Tallowed to feel at home in the communities that demand their services. Wherever they stop they try to put the children in school. It may be that the children will be in school for as much as a month before they are moved to another locality. But they still start the older children off to school, but the ragged little things will not go; they hide in ditches or wan- der off by themselves until it is Perspectives and analysis for those who serve China for those who serve and analysis Perspectives time to go back to the tent, be- cause they are scorned in the school. It should be understood that the old methods of repres- sion, of starvation wages, of jail- ing, beating and intimidation are not going to work. These are American people.”
The struggles of displaced peo- The government estimates that ple transcend history and geogra- twenty million phy. The preceding story was told children have migrated to the cities with in the San Francisco news in 1936 their families. and more fully developed in John Steinbeck’s classic, The Grapes of Wrath as 150,000 migrant Americans left the eco- every American west of the Mississippi moving to nomically depressed “dust bowls” of Oklahoma Canada since the time that Deng Xiao Ping made his with the promise of employment in California. Yet infamous visit to the south of China in 1992. That’s the exact same aches are occurring today in the right, in that amount of time, 150 million people hearts of an even larger population in the People’s have relocated from China’s rural areas to its mid- Republic of China. size or mega cities. (There are now 176 cities with Today, China’s rural-to-urban migration phenom- one million or more people.) But, as the saying enon is on a scale that boggles the mind. Imagine goes, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” 2 Winter 2004 3
Mark Wendling China’s government offi- ing away, you might see that cially predicts that the mi- Li has a constellation of grant community will double small black flecks embed- by the year 2015. The social ded along the right side of implications and the impact her face. Her self-conscious- upon the Christian commu- ness is obviously a direct re- nity are nothing short of sult. Li received her unwel- breathtaking as the gravita- come tattoo when she was tional pull of China’s cities is six years old and her family irresistible. Like water moving had been in Beijing for toward the lowest surface, three months. Like all of China’s countryside peasants China’s northern residents have flowed en masse toward who do not live in apart- the urban centers in search of ment housing, Li’s family a livelihood and a piece of has a small coal-burning China’s new prosperity. Hav- stove, essential for heating ing no other option, villagers and cooking. Sometimes, leave their ancestral lands small pockets of air that are where their home is familiar, trapped in the cheap coal where their children have will heat and explode from friends and, in the case of pressure. Li was unfortunate millions, where the gospel enough to have been looking was first embraced. into the stove when this hap- While the displaced some- pened. Upon rushing the lit- times travel alone, the major- tle girl directly to the nearest ity of “floaters” migrate with Often, one or both parents will venture ahead medical clinic, Li’s parents their families. Often, one or were distraught to find that both parents will venture to a city in order to find work, leaving their they would need residence ahead to a city in order to children in the care of relatives or friends. permits for anything other find work, leaving their chil- than minimum first aid care. dren in the care of relatives Not having even temporary or friends. Once they have found some their children in this complex, urban puz- workers permits, they were forced to con- sort of employment and any kind of zle? Following are three stories of migrant cede to a bottle of antiseptic and some housing, they will bring the rest of the families who brought their children to salve. family along. Beijing and struggle against the storm. While efforts have been made to re- The government estimates that twenty form educational policies regarding mi- million children have migrated to the cit- The Child without a Face grant children, most families still cannot ies with their families. This is understand- It is not difficult to spot Xiao Li. She receive adequate health care. According to ably a life-altering move for these kids. spends her days running between stalls the July 13, 2004 issue of the China Daily, Even a move from one village to another and roaming the alleys in a makeshift many children suffer from anemia, rickets would be an adjustment. The contrast outdoor produce market that services two and serious malnutrition. sharpens when the elements of dialect dif- large residential complexes in the north- Xiao Li does not worry about class- ferences, pace of life increase, mobility, west corner of Beijing. mates teasing her about her face; she does economic needs and, a new issue, educa- It is not so easy to make eye contact not go to school. Neither does her broth- tion for the children, are added. with this diminutive, Chinese lass. Dur- er. In spite of a government regulation re- How do parents arrange education for ing a rare moment when she is not look- quiring all children between the ages of
Brent Fulton, Editor Julia Grosser, Managing Editor Dona Diehl, Layout and Design
Copyright © 2004 by ChinaSource. ChinaSource (ISSN 1552-9223) is published quarterly by China- Source, which was founded as a cooperative effort of Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies, the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association, World Evangelical Alliance, and the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton College, and merged with the Institute of Chinese Studies in 2000. Its purpose is to provide up-to-date and accurate analysis of the issues and opportunities facing Christians involved in China service and to provide a forum for exchanging viewpoints and discussing strategies. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of ChinaSource or its cooperating agencies. ChinaSource may be requested from ChinaSource, P.O. Box 4343, Fullerton, CA 92834 ([email protected] or 714-449-0611). Subscription rates: USA: $29/yr., $54/2 yrs., $79/3 yrs.; International : $39/yr. , $74/2 yrs. ChinaSource reserves the right to transition the international version to an electronic format to improve service and offset postage rate increases. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without prior written permission of the publisher. 2 Winter 2004 3
six and fourteen to attend school, an esti- mented. While money is no longer a re- order to see them, Qu takes three differ- mated twenty percent of all migrant chil- strictive factor in most public schools, ent buses on the weekend. When he gets dren do not go to classes. The regulation there is still the issue of prejudice and there, he is usually required to help them is a difficult one to enforce. Migrant proximity to the schools. Most migrant catch up on their work load. workers are absent from their home vil- workers live a considerable distance from The school that Qu attends is a school lages, and many are undocumented in the public schools. for migrant children. There are about one the places where they live and work. thousand children who attend this school Grown at Twelve which has only existed for three years. In Shamed Qu Long Fei is twelve years old and those three years, the school has had to Han Guo Sheng eagerly awaits the end lives alone. His dwelling is a small shack move twice. The third location, where the of class. As school lets out, he quickly made from corrugated metal sheets tied school is now situated, is rented from a gathers his things and makes for the class- together with odd scraps of string, wire coal processing plant. Already, the room door. As he crosses the campus, he and torn fabric. His only source of heat school’s headmaster has been threatened hears other boys forming teams for the in the winter months, a small coal burn- that he must leave. daily after-school basketball game. Han ing stove, ventilates directly into his Qu is hopeful for the future. When frowns. He loves basketball. The exertion would feel wonderful after a long day of Mark Wendling sitting in class, but he will not play. He knows what would happen if he tried. It has happened before. These Beijing kids are relentless. They will make fun of his shirt. They will tease him because of his accent. Worst of all, they will probably talk about his parents. Han does not tell his parents when these things happen—that is, when he sees them. His mother leaves every morn- ing at 3:00 A.M. to pick up a fresh fruit delivery and then take it to the early morning market. His father is out collect- ing recyclable scrap metal until way past twilight. He knows how much his parents have paid for him to go to this school— every semester they pay. He knows be- cause he has heard them talk. He knows they pay 900 yuan more than the other kids’ parents pay. He wishes his parents would just let him go to one of the mi- grant schools that the other kids on his street go to. At least there he would not be so different. The educational needs for an estimated 35 million children However, his parents have enormous who will accompany 250 million adults to China’s metropolises hopes for him. He senses how much they in the next ten years are just the tip of the iceberg. want from him. They certainly do not want him to be a farmer. In fact, he has asked them before, “Why can’t I go to one “room.” Every day, Qu wakes up early to asked, he says that he wants to be a politi- of the migrant schools?” “No,” his father walk the four miles to school. He is a cian. He really wants to effect change. Un- always replies. “The teachers there are stu- good student, his teachers say, but he is fortunately, the young man’s chances at pid. They are not real teachers. They have often tired. Qu studies by the light of one ever reaching higher education are pretty not gone to college.” So Han goes to Pub- small dim bulb. Sometimes, when it slim. In fact, high school is a long shot. lic School Number 63 every morning. He rains, the bulb shorts out. Junior high schools are about as far as tries to talk like the Beijing kids talk. He Qu’s parents live about forty miles migrant children are able to go. uses the same slang and he shows interest away from him on the outskirts of Bei- There are over three hundred schools in the same things. But, somehow, he just jing. They are hired farmers; a land owner for migrant children in Beijing alone. Less cannot seem to fit in. hires them to tend his crops. They would than ten of them actually meet Beijing Until very recently, migrant children love to live closer to the city, especially to city educational standards leaving the rest were charged extra fees by public schools. be with their eldest son, but this job op- to operate without legitimate status. De- These fees were unregulated and undocu- portunity is just too good to pass up. In Continued on page 13 4 Winter 2004 5
Jim Nickel
Shenzhen is often described as a para- Migrant Cities dise for young people. Local statistics show Clarence Chan that the average age of its residents is 28.65 years while people aged 20 to 29 hina is undergoing a modernization process that has caused its make up 35.77 percent of the city’s popu- urbanization process to accelerate. A mass exodus from rural ar- lation. Statistics also show that 10,397 people out of every 100,000 residents in eas to urban centers is already occurring. Surplus laborers in the Shenzhen have received a college educa- rural areas are rapidly migrating to the towns and cities looking tion or beyond, which far exceeds levels in Cfor jobs and better living conditions. many other major Chinese cities. A young citizen in Shenzhen said, “Life is not al- Some cities harbor from one to three a population of merely 30,000. Now, a ways working and working all the time. million or more migrants who are con- major city, the population in the city cen- Young people in this city like to spend stantly relocating between suburban and ter exceeds two million with the remain- their spare time in bars and disco houses.” major urban centers. Guangzhou, with a der being in the suburban factory areas However, behind the modern sky- population of ten million, has three mil- and villages. Most of its citizens are mi- scrapers and the glittering neon signs of lion plus migrants; Shanghai and Beijing grants from the neighboring provinces of restaurants and shops lays a vacuum of have close to three million migrants. In the Guangxi, Wuhan, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Fujian, darkness and void. This vacuum has per- city of Shenzhen, the entire population of and Yunnan. A few are from the northern meated the center of the city where pros- over five million is migrants. Most of these provinces and a minority are Cantonese. titution resides, and disco houses, bars migrants work in factories, restaurants, ser- Most of these migrants have now settled and high-class shopping malls punctuate vice industries or construction sites. Besides down and made Shenzhen their home. the horizon in a glamorous display. Just grassroots workers, some are young urban Neighboring both Guangzhou and across the border checkpoint between professionals and university graduates. Hong Kong, Shenzhen has come under Hong Kong and Shenzhen is an array of Located on China’s southern border, the influence of much Western culture shops displaying pirated VCD’s, video the major migrant city of Shenzhen sits and lifestyle. With exposure to postmod- players, hi-fi equipment, clothes and next to the Hong Kong border. Sixty years ern pomp and prosperity under the open- shoes that are counterfeits of major name ago, Hong Kong was once a migrant city door policy, Shenzhen and Hong Kong brands. In the middle of the city stand hosting inhabitants from the Guangdong have become as inseparable as the body the five-star hotel Shangri-La and a beau- province. It was also a British colony, but and its shadow. Shenzhen owes her exis- tiful shopping center with a McDonald’s is now a Special Administrative Region tence today to migrants much as Hong and Hard Rock Cafe as their close neigh- since its return to the sovereignty of China Kong owes her existence to Guangzhou bors. In the drive to modernization, in 1997. Twenty years ago, Shenzhen was and Guangdong migrants of some sixty Shenzhen has become a leader among just an agricultural and fishing village with years ago. the Special Economic Zones. 4 Winter 2004 5
Graham Cousens Everyday, there are more than 200,000 by the Guangdong Provin- Hong Kong citizens that cross the border cial Party Committee (see into mainland China. Most of these citi- box). zens work as professionals such as engi- Another major city full neers or managers in “second-line” facto- of migrants is only an ries—the factories that are located in the hour’s train-ride away to the suburbs of Shenzhen. Many of them stay north of Shenzhen. Guang- in Shenzhen and return to Hong Kong zhou, formerly known as during the weekend; some even commute Canton, is the largest me- between these two cities on a daily basis. tropolis of south China and During the holidays, the border crossings the capital of Guangdong can increase to over 250,000 per day. province. Having a popula- Most of these border-crossers are on busi- tion of over ten million, ness or visiting their families and friends. Guangzhou is one of the Some men are even having extramarital busiest and richest cities of affairs with their so called “second wives” China. With a subtropical in Shenzhen. climate, an extensive coast- Migrants from rural areas often end up line and a mesh of tributar- working in factories. Factories in southern ies from the Pearl River, China usually provide dormitory facilities Guangzhou is located on a for their workers which are usually built rich alluvial delta. next to the production facilities. Some The Cantonese have al- large factories, with thousands of employ- ways been considered a dis- ees, include a medical clinic, cafeteria, li- tinct group in the Chinese brary and sports facilities inside the factory world. Separated from the buildings; some even have a dance hall, Yangzi area by an east-west Materialism is the new goddess for the television rooms, a computer learning cen- mountain range and far from ter, karaoke facilities, a stage for public the early centers of Chinese young and zealous. People are living for performances, barber shop and kiosk for civilization in the Yellow Riv- today and hope for the best for tomorrow. daily necessities and snacks. The factory it- er basin, Cantonese culture self becomes a community within a larger has been relatively isolated allowing the foreign trade and investment. The region urban community. province to develop its distinct identity and offers lower labor costs than in the more There are 26 million workers employed its own distinct dialect—Cantonese. Its peo- developed Asian countries. in the urban areas of Guangdong Province ple are a little bit more distant than are the The modernization process has according to an investigative report made northern Chinese who are more relaxed brought enormous international influ- and enjoy life at leisure. The northerners ence into Guangzhou. With Giordano’s enjoy talking to strangers and neighbors as and McDonald’s lining up side by side on GUANGDONG PROVINCE their national past time. The Cantonese, Beijing Road, expensive modern shop- however, enjoy work much more than lei- ping arcades and dining areas become a Of the 26 million workers employed in the urban areas of Guangdong sure. They have no time to talk to each oth- common sight. Whether at noon or at Province: er or neighbors—much less to strangers. night, Beijing Road is always full of • 55.5 percent come from this local Time is a valuable commodity in this crowds shopping. At night, the Beijing province city; almost everyone is busy at work dur- Road neighborhood is blocked off from • 44.5 percent come from other prov- ing the day. Even the beggars are busy private cars, and people can shop and inces. bowing to the passersby to earn a few walk freely on the street. The buildings more dollars. This culture resembles the are old, and the area has a resemblance to • Age distribution is as follows: 5.8% 16-18 years of age industrious nature of Hong Kong and its the Hong Kong of thirty years ago. The 68.6% 19-28 years of age citizens. Almost the entire Chinese popu- streets are packed with buses, cars, bicy- 18% 28-35 years of age lation of Hong Kong has either migrated cles, motorcycles, dust and people. 6.5% 35 up years of age from Guangdong Province or is descend- Behind the dazzling neon lights of Bei- ed from natives of that province. In the jing Road and beyond, the city continues • Slightly over eighty-six percent of the workers are between 19 to 35 years past decade or so, Hong Kong business- to have a spiritual void. A decade or more of age. men and manufacturers have relocated of economic reform has made commu- • In the city of Shenzhen itself, young their factories to Guangzhou and its sur- nism a facade, an idol to be worshipped people constitute 82 percent of the rounding towns. Many of these factories only in the minds of the Chinese authori- total population. It is therefore a young are in Guangdong’s three Special Eco- ties. Materialism is the new goddess for city of 5.79 million migrants—all facing nomic Zones: Shenzhen, Zhuhai and the young and zealous. People are living issues of love and matrimony. Shantou, which were opened to attract Continued on page 13 6 Winter 2004 7 The Effects of Urban Migration on the Countryside House Churches in China
Mai Wei Zhen China Partner
A summary of interviews with six senior lead- ers of two of the largest countryside house church movements in September, 2004.
n the past, the countryside house churches tried to stop believers from going to the cities to find work be- cause they saw it as reflecting the I“love of the world.” However, in recent years they have come to think differently. The countryside churches now realize that urban migration is inevitable. In addi- tion, they have observed the lives of many people who have moved to the cities in spite of being discouraged to do so. Many believers found stable jobs and began to do well financially. Then they were able to help other believers from the country- side to establish their own lives in the cit- ies. Moreover, in many cases, their spiritu- al lives did not decline but they were good examples in church life, in giving and in serving other believers. Conse- quently, the perspective of the country- side leaders has changed. Now they actu- Countryside churches are encouraging their ally encourage people to look for jobs in young people to go to high school and the cities. This has helped the countryside college in the cities, and to plant churches churches financially since many of the be- lievers in the cities send money back to there among their friends and classmates. help them. Some coworkers have jobs that enable them to be self-supporting in admire their zeal and spiritual strength. find a city church composed mostly of their ministries; this practice of mixing Consequently, in many places, the coun- city people and yet led by a countryside ministry and business also was opposed tryside coworkers have been accepted by coworker, in spite of these challenges, in the past but is now accepted and en- the city people and are winning the lost there has been a surprising degree of ac- couraged. and building churches. They are also in- ceptance of countryside coworkers in the When believers move from the country- vited to teach and minister in existing city cities. This acceptance is even, at times, side and seek fellowship with other believ- churches. In many places their ministry is among the Three Self churches. ers in the cities, it is more common for received and very effective. One move- This new city ministry is requiring new them to gather together with other coun- ment estimates they have already worked strategies for evangelization and church tryside people, but there are also examples with about one third of the Christian planting. The countryside coworkers have of city churches that are composed of both population in one large province. In an- learned that they must first live an exem- city and countryside people. other smaller province, they are working plary life among the people they hope to Over the last few years, all the large with over one hundred churches that are reach—building trust and credibility— house church movements have sent co- very open to them. Working with city before they can directly share the gospel workers to the cities. In spite of the initial churches is naturally quite challenging with them. For example, one sister who discrimination against them because of for countryside coworkers due to their had some computer skills went to a large their different appearance and customs as different backgrounds as well as theologi- city and began to work in a factory as a well as their lack of education and sophis- cal positions, and the openness of city regular employee. When she arrived, tication, once people get to know them churches to countryside coworkers varies. there were five or six Christians in the fac- and their lives, they often recognize and While it is still relatively uncommon to tory. Now there are over sixty believers, 6 Winter 2004 7
including high level managers and execu- China’s Migrants tives. These people came to the Lord as the result of her life example. She first built credibility and then was received and the House Church when she shared the gospel. This has be- come the key strategy of the coworkers in the cities. An Interview with jing, Tianjin, Shenyang and so on. It is Back in the countryside, the children Brother Min in 2002 very difficult from a practical level. To and young people are now being taught to send and sustain one evangelist in live and minister in this way in prepara- Shanghai, for example, costs us approxi- tion for their eventual relocation to the cit- : What are the biggest mately twenty times as much money as ies. Thus, the rapid migration to the cities problems facing the one evangelist living in a rural area. has caused the countryside church to re- Qhouse churches today? Many of those who have gone to the cit- think their strategies of ministry as well as A: In the rural areas, many of the be- ies have not tried to be the ones evange- issues of development of their coworkers. lievers live in incredible poverty and lizing themselves. The more effective Another change of strategy involves hardship. Most of the brothers have no workers have taken roles behind the mobilization of the people. In the past, choice but to leave the farm and leave scenes where they teach and train local the coworker was the one who did the their families to look for work in the cit- urban believers to win their city. This is ministry. Now the coworkers are being ies. Each farming family was required to necessary because many city folk look trained and encouraged to mobilize the pay 200 RMB tax each year. This was im- down on rural people, so city people are people to do the ministry. The coworkers possible. Even after we sold everything best reached by other people of that city will reach several city people with the we were able to grow in the fields each who know the way things work there. gospel and then mobilize them to reach year and sold all our possessions, it still Some of the brothers and sisters who their own neighbors and plant the wasn’t enough to pay the government moved to cities have been used of God church. In particular, they will target the tax. But recently Beijing has increased as organizers. They organize prayer and influential leaders in business and soci- the tax to 500 RMB per family! This is intercession teams, they organize train- ety, recognizing their capacity for impact- more than anyone can bear. This tax is ing, they organize evangelistic outreach, ing greater numbers of people. Then the forcing all of our young men and poten- and the local believers have grown in coworkers will help them with teaching tial leaders away from their families into number. and training the new believers. the cities. This has placed our house Similarly, the countryside churches are churches under great pressure. This is encouraging their young people to go to why, when you come to our house : Has there been much success high school and college in the cities, and to church meetings, you will see many for the house churches reach- plant churches there among their friends more sisters than there are brothers. In Qing into cities? and classmates. Then they send coworkers the cities the brothers are often busy A: In the beginning, city ministry was in to work with them and train them. working, and the temptations of the city very difficult, but in the past few years One movement is also using the meth- life mean that their spiritual relationship many evangelists have seen a large num- od of tract distribution in the city, with with the Lord suffers. ber of souls come to the cross. In many the tracts being distributed by both the The loving hearts of people for Jesus cities, the number of churches has dou- countryside coworkers as well as city be- are getting cool. Many are forsaking their bled in a few years, especially in places lievers. Of course, in some areas tract dis- first love. Even though the ministry seems like Beijing, Chengdu, Taiyuan, Kun- tribution cannot be done openly, but this to be expanding here and there, many ming and Hohot. We are finding that re- method of evangelism is often quite ef- leaders no longer have the time to sit at vival is not restricted just to the country- fective and the movement is seeing a rap- the feet of Jesus and hear His voice. side; rather, the Spirit has been “blowing id growth of churches by this means as Therefore, the spiritual quality of the wherever it pleases” (John 3). In many well as by others. house churches is going down. The older places people who own businesses have Thus, while the rapid migration of generation thinks the younger generation been finding God’s grace. In the city we people from the countryside to the city has a lot of zeal but not much truth. find our workers need to consider inter- has created many complex challenges for action with foreign Christians much the house churches, it has also given rise more than they do in the countryside. to changes of thinking and the develop- : There is a trend of millions This has been helpful in some ways, but ment of new strategies that ultimately of people leaving rural areas in other ways we are concerned because will be positive for the growth of the Qand moving to the big cities. some are being given the opportunity to church in China. What can the house churches do to go and study outside of China in places reach the city folk? like Hong Kong, Singapore and the Phil- Mai Wei Zhen works with the countryside A: Several years ago we started to ad- ippines. When these leaders are taken house churches in China, mainly involved in dress this question, and we have sent away, it always leaves a hole in our work leadership development. many workers to live in places like Bei- that is difficult to fill. 8 Winter 2004 9
very Chinese in China knows However, with the continued deepen- ries became the newly created entrepreneur that after Liberation the Com- ing of reform, the actual life of peasants class and those government officials who munist Party led the working in the countryside remained burdensome quickly became rich. The 900 million peas- people to revolt, and workers and exhausting. In many villages, peas- ants who composed the majority of Chi- and peasants became the ants work year after year for an average of nese society were not the beneficiaries of re- E“masters” of the nation. Fifty years later, only several hundred yuan, or several doz- form; on the contrary, they returned to the the peasants, who were supposed to be en yuan per month. They still live in nar- lowest class of society. the “masters,” suddenly discovered that row, dark, damp, mud-walled houses. Due to low prices for agricultural not only are they no longer the “masters” Some cannot even afford a roof, so in lieu products and the rising cost of produc- of the house, they cannot even be called of clay tiles they use tree bark. Because of tion, countless peasants, who had toiled “guests.” their poverty, those who get sick just arduously plowing the fields in the coun- Each year after spring festival, tens of tough it out if it is not too serious. If it is tryside, found that farming was a losing thousands of peasants from all over Chi- serious, they just wait to die since they proposition. Farming could not feed the na, chasing their dreams, squeeze family. As a result, millions of farm- onto trains and climb onto buses ers were forced to leave their homes headed for Beijing, Shanghai, Shen- and give up the land that had been zhen and other cities both large and their families’ livelihood for genera- small. They earnestly hope to find tions. Enduring hardship, ridicule work in the cities. Any kind of work and discrimination, they poured will do—selling vegetables, selling into the cities to work, year after newspapers, repairing shoes, repair- year. This was the beginning of a ing bicycles, babysitting, transport- new phenomenon that emerged ing garbage, road repair, construc- during the last decade, the wave of tion, washing dishes in a restaurant, urban migrants. According to 2003 mining coal—all manner of dirty View statistics, the floating population and exhausting jobs fall upon their View then exceeded 120 million. The six shoulders. Anyplace where there is from the Wall provinces of Sichuan, Anhui, Hu- difficult and dangerous work to do By Huo Shui nan, Jiangxi, Henan and Hubei ac- you will find them. Originally, they counted for sixty percent of the were peasants, but now they are doing country’s transient population. In the work of city dwellers. They came The “Master’s” 2004, the floating population in from the villages but have left the Embarrassment Beijing had reached four million. land and are now living in the cities. The peasants entering the cities Yet, they cannot be called citizens of become mingong, but the vast ma- the city; rather, they are called by the jority of them can only live as the names “hardship” and “difficulty.” cannot afford a doctor. Greedy officials underclass of urban society. They Discrimination and humiliation are their suck the people dry, and the complicated cannot obtain household registration constant companions. With their own tax code pressures peasants to the point and, as a result, cannot enjoy the social blood and sweat they water the flowering where they cannot breathe. In the spring welfare accorded to urban residents. In prosperity of the city, but prosperity has of 2000 in Jianli County, Hubei Province, order to save some money from their la- nothing to do with them. With their own a village Party secretary named Li Chang- bors to send back home to the country- bodies they support modernization, but ping wrote then Premier Zhu Rongji a let- side, they have to endure the following there is no place for them at the banquet ta- ter saying, “Peasant life is very hard, the kinds of suffering. ble of modernization. The creators of urban village is really poor, and the agricultural First, working hours are long, and liv- civilization are destined to live in its shad- sector is really in jeopardy.” This became ing conditions are poor. They work over ow. They are called mingong.1 a classic description of the problems of eight hours per day, sometimes as long as The starting point for discussing the contemporary peasant life. twelve or more hours. They put in endless mingong is the “peasant” (nongmin). Chi- Harvard University economist, Dwight overtime without overtime pay. For these na is a large agrarian country. Out of its Perkins, said, “From the perspective of fu- peasants who work day and night, week- population of 1.3 billion people, ture reformers, the political experience of ends and traditional holidays are nonex- 900,000,000 are peasants. After the im- China is clear but often overlooked. Any istent. The work is hazardous to the plementation of the household responsi- process of reform should have clear bene- health and even dangerous, but the work- bility system in the 1970s, agricultural ficiaries.” At the beginning of China’s re- place lacks safety equipment. No matter output increased year after year, giving form the beneficiaries were the farmers, the which city or whether it is the manufac- rise to many “ten thousand yuan house- specialized household enterprises and the turing or service industry, in order to keep holds.” In a short period of time, China’s developers in the special economic zones costs down, employers provide only the peasants appeared to have already be- (SEZs). Then, when the center of reform most inferior accommodations with sev- come extremely prosperous. shifted to the cities, the primary beneficia- eral tens of workers packed into an old 8 Winter 2004 9
room with no sanitary facilities. They eat to turn, resort to begging, prostitution, tions of mingong. They have rudimentary the cheapest food. For most mingong this drug use and drug dealing, becoming facilities, inexpensive tuition and a low is typical treatment. criminals in order to survive. quality of education. They lack regular Next come low pay and delayed wages. Last, it is difficult for the children of classrooms, laboratories, computers, Even though the government has a mini- mingong to receive an education. The con- reading materials, books, audiovisual mum wage standard, this is meaningless stitution requires that every child receive equipment, dormitories, cafeterias and to these workers because they just want to nine years of free education. Yet, because sports facilities. Sanitary conditions are find a job. A sample survey conducted the migrant workers’ children are not res- poor, and the quality of teachers is in among fourteen enterprises in Dongwan, idents of the city, they do not enjoy equal general below government standards. The Guangdong Province, found that all ex- access to education. Public schools will biggest problem is that because these mi- cept one paid lower than the minimum not accept children of nonresident par- grant schools cannot compare with pub- monthly wage of 450 RMB, or only 15 ents, and private school tuition is so high lic schools in terms of staffing, adminis- RMB per day. In that area, a very simple there is no way for the children to attend. tration, educational model, quality of ed- boxed lunch costs three to four RMB. Thus, tens of thousands of mingong are ucation and in other areas, there are What is even more intolerable is that faced with the harsh truth that, whether many problems, and this kind of school even with this low pay companies some- public or private, education for their chil- will never receive official recognition or times delay paying the workers’ wages. As dren will cost an exorbitant amount of legal status. While under the same blue a result, many mingong go a whole year or China Partner even several years without getting paid. According to sociologist Li Chiang, in 2002, in Beijing one out of every four mi- grant workers did not receive his pay or had it delayed. At the end of 2003, there were 124,000 construction projects na- tionally that had withheld a total of 175,600,000,000 RMB in wages. The na- tional construction bureau announced in August of this year that the accumulated withheld construction wages amounted to 367,000,000,000 RMB. Even though the government continues to advocate for the legal rights of peasant workers, this phenomenon of “It’s hard to find a job; it’s even harder to get paid,” continues to rise. Delayed wages for mingong has be- come a serious social problem. Employers provide only the most inferior accommodations with Third, they have no social status and several tens of workers packed into an old room with no sanitary facilities. lack social security. Because of the house- hold registration regulations, mingong money. For these workers this is unrealis- sky, these migrant schools do not enjoy cannot transfer their registration to the tic. They pour out their blood, sweat and the same radiant sun. With rundown fa- cities. Children cannot attend school tears to build the glorious and rich city, cilities and unqualified teachers, students where their parents work, so the workers but their own children have no school to without household registration and cannot enjoy the social benefits of the attend. The education of mingong children schools without legal status, the Chinese city or the protection of workers’ com- is a serious problem not only in Shenzhen society’s discrimination is directed not pensation, retirement, unemployment in- but for any city with a large number of only toward the peasants themselves but surance and medical insurance. If they get mingong. According to Southern Daily, also toward their next generation. sick, no one looks after them. If they are within Guangdong’s floating population This is the picture of the peasants, the injured or become sick or disabled on the of 20 million, over one million children so-called “masters” of China, now that job, they are kicked out and spend their re- do not receive any education. Shenzhen they have moved into the city. How did maining years in sadness. As for the politi- alone has over 100,000 children who do the farmers fall from being the “masters of cal treatment of the mingong, there is even not receive a proper education. Migrant the country” to this embarrassing level? less to be said, as any sort of organization children in Beijing and Shanghai face the Analyzing the cause one can only say that to protect their rights is illegal. There are same situation. it is the result of Chinese society’s long- hundreds of thousands of construction As a result, the mingong in many areas held, systematic and integral class discrim- projects involving these workers, but as have started their own “workers’ children ination against the peasants. The roots of soon as the projects are finished, they are schools.” Most of these schools are found the mingong are in the rural areas, but the simply let go. Their life or death depends in the border areas between countryside processes of industrialization, urbaniza- only on fate. Some workers, with nowhere and city where there are high concentra- Continued on page15 10 Winter 2004 11
viewed as a threat to stability, an equally persuasive logic argues that migrant work- Reflections on the Roll ers are the thread that keeps a rapidly transforming China from ripping apart. of Migrant Labor Migrant labor serves to both relieve pres- sure from the country’s impoverished re- Daniel Wright on television. And as a group of five bud- gions and to transfer resources and skills dies, traveling together for their first time back to those areas. When I put the “sta- The following was written by Daniel away from home, they did not seem afraid. bility” question to a Guizhou government Wright in 1998 while a fellow in the Insti- From the way they talked about work- official who works in Shenzhen, he re- tute of Current World Affairs living in inland ing the stony fields back home, these sponded immediately with an interesting China and studying its people and societies. young men seemed to represent the views comparison: the threat of starving North His “Reflections” came after sharing conver- of a large number of China’s rural labor- Korea that looms over South Korea. “If sations and experiences with migrants during ers who consider agriculture to be an un- North Koreans could travel to South Ko- a 35-hour train journey from China’s interior profitable, unattractive, and Graham Cousens to the coast. even redundant econom- ic activity. In the rural re- o get my mind off my discom- gions of China’s interior fort, I decided to visit the teen- where there are few non- agers who had asked for a pic- agricultural activities, mi- ture the night before. I asked the gration is often seen as the Tman who had been leaning on me for only way out. After all, if most of the previous twelve hours to hold one family member leaves my seat. He was glad for the chance to sit home—like these young down. As I came into view, the boys middle-school dropouts— seemed delighted to see me. They cleared it means one less mouth to a space on their bench, pulled out some feed. And if the migrant is home-cured ham strips, and asked me to able to land a job, even the do my card trick again. As I shuffled the dirtiest of manual-labor jobs, deck, I asked them why they had decided he earns on average in one to leave home. month what he would earn “We’re from the countryside in north- in an entire year at home. In east Guizhou; it’s very poor there. We this way, one family member want to come out, earn some money, and who has gone to the coast see what we can learn. Who knows what may be able to support an will happen? But we can’t stay at home.” entire family back in China’s I have read the literature that evaluates rural interior. migrant labor—like these teenagers—as a More and more govern- social, economic and political threat.1 ment officials view migrant Since they form a group outside the sys- labor as a normal conse- quence of economic re- tem, it is argued, there is no way to orga- If the migrant is able to land a job, even the nize or control these people. Whether for form, which, while loosen- dirtiest of manual-labor jobs, he earns on family-planning purposes, concern over ing control of China’s coun- rising crime, or just the menace of the un- tryside through the breakup average in one month what he would employed sleeping in the streets, migrant of the commune system, earn in an entire year at home. labor lives beyond the reach of the state. encourages some areas and Others also cite migrant labor’s vulnera- some people of China to prosper first rea as migrant labor,” he said, “the prob- bility to exploitation and the lack of basic (namely, coastal cities and special eco- lem of instability on the Korean peninsu- social services available to them, especial- nomic zones).2 As a de facto component la would be solved.” His analogy is obvi- ly health care. Needless to say, it doesn’t of government policy, therefore, it is only ously flawed, but I got his point. The gen- take much imagination to envision a cha- natural that large numbers of people eral freedom Chinese labor has had to otic drama of fifty million jobless mi- would flow from the less- to the more-de- pursue wealth, regardless of where it may grant laborers swamping China’s cities. veloped areas of the country. The challeng- be found, has alleviated what would oth- The teenagers’ attitudes fascinated me. es of migrant labor are indeed very real. erwise be unbearable pressure, and cer- They certainly did not consider them- The contributions the laborers make, how- tain instability, in China’s impoverished selves a threat. They were attracted to, not ever, to both the coastal areas and to their interior regions. envious of, the relative wealth of the home regions outweigh the costs and risks. In addition, much of China’s econom- coast—a part of China they had seen only And while migrant labor can be ic growth has been built by the callused 10 Winter 2004 11
hands and sweat of migrant labor. In ur- ban areas, for instance, migrant labor of- ten does the dirty work that locals would never touch. China’s powerful export Resource Corner market, as well, has been underwritten by the inexpensive and willing labor of those from the interior. Like the powerful force of Overseas Northwest Graduate School of the Ministry Chinese—ethnic Chinese who live out- A commitment to biblical truth and practical ministry with an side China but who contribute billions in emphasis toward urban challenges and a global constituency. gifts and investment to their ancestral homeland each year—China’s “Overland hether living in a rural setting gational Revitalization; Preaching and Chinese” (my term for the millions of or world class city, leaders to- Communication; Organizational Lead- migrant laborers who work on the coast W day need an expanded under- ership; Spiritual Formation; Global Mis- but who remit significant amounts of standing of the unique global shifts and sion; Community Development; Trans- cash to their homes in the interior) play must be equipped to negotiate a new formational Mission an important role in their local econo- world construct. mies. A Guizhou official told me that in Each course employs distance-learning 1997, migrant laborers from Guizhou re- We invite you to explore the course of- strategies with approximately 30 hours of ferings, educational tours, and urban mitted five billion yuan (U.S. $600 mil- faculty and student-to-student contact plunges that NWGS provides through- either in the class on in field experiences to- lion) to family members back home. out the year. gether. Educational field experiences are Equivalent to ten percent of the province’s delivered in global settings. gross domestic product, the figure equals DISTINCTIVES: Guizhou’s entire annual local-government • Global learning environment Accredited by the Transnational Association revenue. In this regard, one of the most with cities as laboratories of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) important contributions made by migrant • Biblical emphasis with evangelical labor is the ability to channel resources passion and an ecumenical spirit Dr. Ray Bakke, Board of directly into the hands of individual fami- • Integrated world view, with historical Regents Chair and Professor of lies in China’s poor interior, something and contextual understanding Global Mission, leads a gifted government bureaucracies and aid pro- • Rigorous academic standards with international faculty of urban non-traditional access grams seem to have great difficulty doing. practitioners.
The Guizhou Economic Daily reported OFFERING: For more information: the story of thirty migrant laborers, all • Doctor of Ministry with concentra- from the same village in Guizhou but Web site: www.NWGS.edu tions in: Transformational leadership Email: [email protected] who work in different locations on Chi- for the global city; Transformational Phone: 206.264.9100 • 800.935.4723 na’s coast, who recently formed an “asso- leadership for church multiplication; Fax: 206.264.8828 3 ciation” to support their home village. Transformational leadership for emerg- Contact: Dr. Jon Sharpe, Academic Dean Most funds from migrant labor are remit- ing church/church revitalization ted directly to family members and do Northwest Graduate School not contribute to village services like edu- • Master of Theological Studies 1013 Eighth Ave. cation and health care. Nevertheless, the with concentrations in: The Emerg- Seattle, WA 98104 ing Church; Urban Youth; Congre- example illustrates the Overseas Chinese- like role that migrant labor plays. To be- come a member of the association, each things and try to keep their village from Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1989), worker must agree to do three things: being satisfied with simply having 125-60. First, learn one skill he or she can share enough clothes to wear and food to eat. 3. Guizhou jingji ribao (Guizhou Eco- with fellow-villagers; second, provide at In fact, many migrant laborers, after a few nomic Daily), February 5, 1998. least one piece of information to the vil- years of “eating bitterness” on the coast, lage regarding work conditions on the wake up to realize that they could be Daniel Wright is the director, Washington, coast; and, third, provide an annual do- their own boss back home, using the DC Office of The National Bureau of Asian nation to the village. skills they have learned. Research and author of The Promise of the The contribution made by migrant la- Revolution: Stories of Struggle and Fulfill- bor to their home villages is, therefore, Endnotes ment from China’s Hinterland. He may be not just monetary. Several migrant labor- 1. Kam Wing Chan, “Recent Migration reached at
people traveled for days and weeks into these villages of Yunnan to proclaim the Savior’s message of redemption, forgive- Peoples of China ness and new life. Lives were transformed Peoples of China and light was brought into the lives of vil- lagers enslaved for generations by evil spirits, animism and hatred. Now, as urbanization is changing the way of life, village people from all over Yunnan are leaving their homes to find Transformation better employment opportunities in Kun- Nathan and Sue Lee in close union with their surroundings ming, the capital of this province. The and worship natural forces. The practice Spirit is at work in China. He is bringing gain, Jesus said, ‘Peace of demon worship, sorcery and black the unreached peoples into the city. be with you! As the magic has been a way of life for genera- Two years ago, a few girls from an inte- Father has sent me, I tions. As people turn to the witch doctors rior mountainous region left their village am sending you’” for answers and heal- China Partner “A(John 20:21). “To preach good news to ing, they become in- debted to evil sprits un- the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, til death. From doing to proclaim freedom for the captives heavy labor to obeying and release for the prisoners; to comfort ceremonial customs all who mourn; to bestow on them a commanded by the crown of beauty instead of ashes, the witches, villagers can oil of gladness instead of mourning, never pay back their and a garment of praise instead of a debts. They owe their spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:1-3). souls, spirits, dignity Where are the people? Where do we and children in servi- start? If God is constantly at work, how tude to the clutches of do we join Him? darkness. They are bro- Nestled in a mountainous region of ken, hurting and lost. China by the Jin Sha River, ethnic minori- Between the late ty tribes such as the Dai, Yi and Lisu live 1800s and early 1990s,
Melvin Sletch
Witchcraft, animism and other forms of spiritual evils influence most of their lives and families.
to find work in Kunming. As the years pro- gressed, more and more girls followed. By the time we crossed paths with these girls, around ten were working in the city. Most of these girls are from the Dai ethnic tribe. Witchcraft, animism and other forms of spiritual evils influence most of their lives and families. Many have been wounded or hurt by these practices. They desire free- dom from such bondage. One by one, each has shared the gospel with a new- comer. As they meet and fellowship regu- larly, they see the truth in God’s word. It is their vision to establish a meeting point or church in their own village. Hope and Faith are two girls who have been praying fervently for redemption and salvation for their village. As urbanization is changing the way of life, village people from all over Yunnan are leaving their homes Hope’s father died of alcoholism in to find better employment opportunities in Kunming, the capital of this province. 12 Winter 2004 13
March of 2002. Buddhist witches were in- Against the Storm more modern developments as the 2008 vited by the family to cast spells in hopes Continued from page 3 Beijing Olympics approach, the schools of reviving him. Hope was sleeping in her spite the fact that these schools are meet- are in a pressure cooker for survival. room while he was in a coma. She saw an ing a massive educational need, the gov- The demographic shift is seismic in evil spirit that looked liked him approach- ernment provides zero subsidy for start- scope. The social implications are stagger- ing her. She screamed and told it to leave. ing the schools or maintaining them. ing. The educational needs for an estimat- A month after he died she decided to leave This means that every headmaster has to ed 35 million children who will accom- her village, find employment in the city, borrow money from friends and relatives pany 250 million adults to China’s me- forget her sorrows, make money to sup- to secure a property lease. tropolises in the next ten years are just port her family and pay off debts. These schools are humble and crowd- the tip of the iceberg. Of greater signifi- Hope had various jobs before the Lord ed at best, destitute and hazardous at cance are the ramifications of hundreds led her to our family. In the city, her worst. The schools have usually been of thousands (possibly millions) of rural friend, Faith, shared the gospel with her. started by former village teachers, head- Christians exiting the countryside with an As Hope’s desire to draw near to God masters and entrepreneurial countryside estimated ten million disenfranchised grew, her spiritual attacks increased. Of- business men—people with a heart for peasants annually for the next decade. ten she would have nightmares of her de- the children from their hometowns. Mi- The questions remain. Will those who ceased father trying to kill her or dream grant schools are frequently criticized for have embraced the faith in China’s im- of her nephew who drowned asking her their lack of equipment—from the play- poverished villages now bring the trea- for food. These dreams would disturb her. ground to the classroom. Most often, the sure of their spiritual wealth to the cities Through prayers, her reoccurring dreams tables and chairs that the schools use amidst the storm, or will the red coals of stopped and she was no longer afraid. have been discarded from public schools. His stirring be cooled by the beguiling Before knowing Christ, Hope lived Despite new government regulations winds of materialism? Will the children with a strong sense of hopelessness and ordering public schools to eliminate extra from households of faith be nurtured to despair. After accepting Christ, she shares fees that they have been charging migrant love the Lord their God, and their neigh- how wonderful it is to have peace in her families, enrollment in most of Beijing’s bors as themselves, or will only the urban heart, not fearing for the future. Hope has migrant schools increased in September economies experience revival? May God a strong desire for someone, or herself, to 2004, bringing the student population to grant these believers courage to be bearers be sent to her village to share the new approximately 150,000 children with as of light. The stakes could not be higher as hope she has found. She wants the joy and many in the public school system. On the China is on the verge of superpower sta- peace she experienced in Christ to perme- one hand, with pressure from local au- tus in the 21st century. ate her village. She feels her village has thorities to restrict their existence due to been terrorized by evil spirits long enough. poor educational quality and, on the oth- Mark Wendling lived in Beijing for five The Lord has been preparing people er hand, with pressure from legitimate city years and currently serves as a staff member to answer this call. Hope’s best friend, developers to clear out and make room for of the Thornston Educational Fund. Faith, told her parents during May of this year her decision to serve the Lord in choosing to learn how to set herself apart Migrant Cities the city of Shenzhen, about one percent for Him. She will be attending a Bible Continued from page 5 of the population is Christian and in school this coming September to know for today and hope for the best for to- Guangzhou, less than two percent. Some more about God’s Word. It is her vision morrow. Chinese people need to have a cities are really unreached, especially to return home after a few years of Bible hope: a hope for a better future, not townships of less than one million peo- training to share the wonderful truth of merely in this material world but for the ple. Sometimes, migrants in the megaci- the gospel with her village which has nev- world to come. ties consist of more than thirty to fifty per- er heard the “Good News.” For the past 25 years, Christian minis- cent of the population. They are the new There are three more girls praying for try has taken place mainly in the rural ar- “unreached” people group in the urban God’s will. They are being discipled to be- eas of China. A mass movement of the centers of China. Young and energetic, come spiritual leaders within their fellow- house church was initiated in the villages some even well educated, they will be- ship. Each is aware of the cost of becom- and spread to nearby suburban and ur- come the morning stars of the New China. ing a disciple. Prayers are needed for pro- ban centers. The gospel to China’s urban May God send more of his laborers to tection of the hearts of those who desire centers was primarily targeted at universi- the harvest fields of the cities. May we all Christ and that they not be plucked away ty students. Now, however, these universi- keep watch and pray for China’s migrants by the Evil One. ty students have graduated and formed in the cities. Where are the people? Where do we small, young, urban, professional church- start? The people are next to us if only we es in the cities that have no connection Clarence Chan is the CEO of Pacific Rim are willing to be a vessel. whatsoever with the rural church net- Foundation, Limited, an educational founda- work. tion in Hong Kong (www.prfoundation.com) Nathan and Sue Lee live in China and The percentage of Christians in the ur- and may be contacted at
broad portrait of one particular migrant community, several universal theses emerge as she applies interpretive tools from a vari- Book Review ety of academic disciplines to the task. She borrows from theoretical frameworks as ex- otic as semiotic analysis to sub-disciplines within the fields of psychology, history, so- ciology and anthropology. One general but important Strangers in the City thesis woven throughout the book, is Li’s point that China’s floating pop- A review by Scott Faris as a revision of her doctoral ulations relate to both lo- dissertation while at Cornell, cal residents and city lead- Strangers in the City by Li Zhan. Stanford Li’s work successfully cap- ers in very dynamic ways. University Press, 2001, 229 pp. ISBN: tures and analyzes the expe- They create what she terms 0804742065, paperback. Cost: $22.95 at riences of migrant workers “clientelist networks” and
(and, as Li demonstrates convincingly by practices some form of folk Buddhism The “Master’s” Embarrassment anecdote, unimaginably corrupt) official and that the minority is Christian, and Continued from page 9 channels of acquiring a city’s hukou—the she fails to elaborate upon this. Doing so tion and modernization have brought document that entitles a person to legal in a religious context as rich as China’s about the continued decrease of arable residence in a city and access to social ser- belies naturalistic assumptions about land and increase of excess labor in the vil- vices and public education. “I do not how research is done and the very nature lages, forcing the farmers to leave the need a Beijing hukou to stay in Beijing as of knowing. Also, while Li’s interdisci- countryside. However, the Chinese policy long as I have money,” says one of Li’s plinary approach facilitates a welcome of eryuan shenfen (separating into two subjects, a migrant worker who has man- breadth in handling her theses, she de- classes those who live in the cities and aged to do well financially and does not pends heavily on modernist assumptions those who do not) does not recognize the intend to ever become an official partici- about human nature and the motivations equal rights and status of mingong. Gov- pant in the hukou system. of those holding power. On several occa- ernment policies still treat the mingong as As a work of scholarship, Strangers in sions, Li exhibits an almost unquestion- if they were peasants living in the country- the City has many strengths which far out- ing faith in the validity of cultural analy- side, denying them any kind of social se- balance its weaknesses. Its footnotes con- ses drawn from Michel Foucault’s Power/ curity. The worth of the mingong has been tain extremely useful clarifications and Knowledge and “Space, Knowledge and artificially and systematically degraded. amplifications of points the author Power.” There is little use for the super- The growth and development of the city makes, and the book’s eleven-page pin- yin-English-Chinese glossary at the end natural in Li’s worldview. is, to a certain degree, precisely depen- adequately captures the colorful, collo- While having written a generally very dent upon taking advantage of the de- quial speech of Li’s interview subjects as readable piece of research, Li sometimes graded worth of the masses of mingong. well as unpacking the use of political lan- exhibits a penchant for using highly spe- An indisputable fact is that once the min- guage and its meanings. Along with Li’s cialized technical language and jargon gong enter the city, no matter what they liberal use of pinyin translations embed- (related to the wide range of various in- do, they are still considered peasants. Al- ded in the text, this glossary is in itself a terpretive theories she intentionally em- though their children grow up in the city, useful reference for vocabulary related to braces) that can make reading her analy- they still have peasant status. In China, migrant issues, and these two features ses towards the beginning of the book where “the workers and peasants are the alone make the book worth its price. (An example from the glossary: yimin unnecessarily difficult. masters,” regardless of where the peasant “migrants; immigrants” and zirancun However, despite these shortcomings, lives, in reality, he is still on the bottom “naturally formed village”) Strangers in the City still represents a good rung of the social ladder. In the city that Li also demonstrates her ability to form investment for those serving in China, does not offer peasants any mercy or ten- deep trust relationships among Wenzhou useful, if for no other reason than for its der feelings, peasants and mingong feel a migrant workers and their bosses as well value in posing questions that must be humiliation and exploitation that have as to access and assimilate information answered: been legitimized by the system. To change from local media and government docu- • To what extent have Christian minis- this system implies that one must change ments. This lends her work a refreshing try practices in mainland China in past the current order of things, which implies sense of breadth as well as depth. decades shaped government policy in that the “masters” of the republic must An example of Li’s attention to detail either positive or negative ways? struggle anew for their own status as mas- is found in her description of a meeting • How can those serving in China seek ters. For the Chinese peasants who were held by the city government of a Beijing to understand the role of physical loca- already liberated more than half a centu- suburb. They were courting the attention tion and the dynamics at work in the ry ago, this is a huge irony and tragedy. of Wenzhou migrant business owners creation of living and working spaces in Only when the millions of peasants who had been run out of Zhejiangcun China’s cities? who have left the land, traveled through when it was demolished by the Beijing • What is a biblical, gospel response to the villages and entered the cities can tru- government. She mentions the legitimiz- the urban poor in the context of Chinese ly stand toe-to-toe with city dwellers will ing significance of the word choice used cities? the two-class system be finished, the in the hotel’s welcome sign: “Reception • How will urban churches respond as problem of migrant workers solved, and Station to Welcome Zhejiang Industrial- some of their members grow in wealth the modernization of China have a fu- ists and Merchants.” Besides showing her and social influence? ture. We believe and anticipate this day sensitivity to subtle details, it also reaf- There are certainly many more ques- will come soon. firms Li’s assertion that for migrants and tions to ask, but answering them is the those in power over them, the struggle to order of the day for Christians working in Endnotes control language and discourse about the China’s urban context, and the insights of 1. The term here traditionally refers to a laborer working on a public project. other is paramount. Li’s book will prove helpful in this task. The book’s weaknesses are modest, but include a lack of adequate handling of Scott Faris coordinates China-related Huo Shui is a former government political the religious dimension of her subjects’ research for Geneva Global Inc. analyst who writes from outside China. lives. In only one place does Li mention Translation is by Alice Loh, Brent and Jas- that the majority of Wenzhou migrants mine Fulton. China perspective Brent Fulton ------PAID journal. U.S. POSTAGE U.S. PERMIT NO. 98 PERMIT NO. FULLERTON CA FULLERTON NONPROFIT ORG. NONPROFIT , Ph.D., is the presi ChinaSource “If more foreign ‘China work “If more foreign ‘China rural Christians While China’s urbanization for their ministry, urbanization for their ministry, to partner seek who would we with them must also be willing to of involve consider new avenues ment. Leadership training and the re of spiritual resources provision busi but now main critical needs, voca strategies, and expertise ness tional training and micro loans are joining the list as practical grow encourage China’s to ways ing church. Fulton Brent and the editor dent of ChinaSource of the of the most significant contribu of the most China can tions those outside at this time. make to the church to this themselves give ers’ would would vision,” he urged, “they their true purpose and discover histo China’s role for this time in believ All [the rural Chinese ry. to take them ers] need is a vehicle and destiny into their future and that provide our part is simply to They are already leading, vehicle. than faster discipling and growing at this church in the world any time.” grapple with the implications of ------One model that has been ings of the countryside, these these countryside, the of ings to open particularly are peasants transitional this at Gospel the rural While lives. their in stage diffi it find generally Christians ur sophisticated to relate to cult well-positioned are they banites, mi fellow their to minister to cities. the in grants pro involves successful proven with short- viding evangelists According to one Christian worker worker to one Christian According return to the countryside, the evangelists the evangelists return to the countryside, can connect them with existing churches in their home towns. New Opportunities for Partnership alongside the serving who has spent years to rural church, helping rural believers maintain economic viability while devel oping new ministry into the cities is one term loans and basic training on how to term loans and basic training on how near a fac Located run a small business. the business becomes a convenient tory, This contact point with migrant workers. a location “shop church” also provides migrant and training. As for worship eventually are discipled and then workers selves who work on construction sites, in sites, on construction who work selves families or in the fac the homes of urban up in the sprung that have tory towns Separat Delta and elsewhere. River Pearl surround familiar the and ed from family ------Brent Fulton - - man migration in history, as man migration in history, hina is in the midst of what is the midst of what is hina is in hu arguably the most massive
New models are emerging that pro One of the most signifi A Church on the Move on the A Church ministry—often to migrants like them vide Christians who move to the cities vide Christians who move with a means of support, a legitimate for platform a and city the within status and less viable. From Farmhouse to FactoryFloor tor, the industrialization of the country the of industrialization the tor, to moving and more evangelists side, less this model has become the cities, lowed evangelists to spend part of each evangelists lowed and church planting. To traveling year with the shrinking agricultural sec day, China’s rural house church China’s traditionally relied upon have networks The agriculture as their economic base. al seasonal nature of agricultural work how workers in the rural in the workers how church will be supported in Evangelists in the future. three decades. three decades. cant challenges concerns networks that have been that have networks the stronghold of Christi past anity in China for the countryside to the cities. This migration This migration to the cities. countryside change spells fundamental church for the rural house C flock from the hundreds of millions P.O. Box 4343, Fullerton, CA 92834 Fullerton, 4343, Box P.O. RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED RETURN SERVICE