Winnies Story

ImfromChinaandIhave4sisters.Oneisolderthanme,andthe
other3areyounger.Ihaveatwinsister.Imtheolderone,butjustby2
minutes.MyfamilyisunusualinChinabecauseChinahasa1ChildPolicy.
Myparentspaidfineseverytimetheyhadanotherchild.Theypaidfinesfor
everychildexceptformyoldersisterandyoungestsister.Whenwewere
bornin1997thefineswerearound50,000or$10,000.Whenmymiddle
sisterwasbornin2001myparentshadtopay$20,000.Butmyyoungest
sister,whenshewasbornmyparentsdidnotneedtopayafinebecause
shewasborninHongKong.HongKongispartofChina,butthepolicy
doesnotapplyinthiscity.Becauseofthe1childpolicy,ifmyparents
workedforthegovernment(forexampleateacher,policymaker,orcivil
servant)theywouldhavelosttheirjobbecauseofourlargefamily.

WhenmymotherwaspregnantwithmytwinsisterandI,shehadto
hideinatownwherenooneknewherbecauseifsomeonefoundout,they
wouldtakehertothehospitalandmakeherhaveaforcedabortion.Ifyou
successfullykeptyouradditionalpregnanciesasecretyouhadtopaythe
finesafterthebabywasborn,whichiswhymyparentspaidfines.Thefine
dependsontheparentscombinedincome.Iftheyhaveahighincomethen
theywillhavetopayhigherfees.Ifmyparentsrefusedtopayfineswewe
wouldntbeallowedtogotoschool,wewouldbedeniedjobs,andwe
wouldntbeabletogetagovernmentissuedChineseID.The
consequencesofhavingachildwithoutbirthpermitsvarybyprovince,with
finesrangingashighas7Xtheaverageannualincome.Ifmyparents
didntpaythefinesitwouldhavereallyaffectedmyfuture.

InChina,somecareershavereallystrictrules.Forexampleifan
employeehadmorethan1child,theircoworkerscanbeatriskofalso
losingtheirjobsiftheyknewaboutahiddenpregnancyorbirth.Theycould
alsobemadetopayfines.ThatswhymanypeopleinChinafollowthe1

childpolicy.Theydosobecausetheydonthaveachoice.