Our Migrant Speakers & their Stories

Below are examples of some of our local migrant workers who presented their life stories to date in China. They covered their immigration stories, what motivated their move and how that influences their future. Later students were challenged to create board games out of their understanding of the great Chinese domestic Migration.

TIAN DEYING

Tian was born in a small village called Hebian in Sichuan Province in 1968. She is the eldest one and has 4 more sisters and one brother. In that era, people believed that only son could carry on the family line.

Her parents were farmers without good education and she dropped out from school after grade 5 in primary school owing to financial problems and the lack of labor in her family.

When she turned to 18 years’ old, she was introduced by a friend to work in a big city called Chongqing where she worked as a textile worker. She treated herself as a responsible adult who needs to support the family with any conditions. The second biggest trip she had was when she headed to Zhejiang province for better opportunities. She believed that’s where her “American dream” could come true. And that’s where she met her husband and had a family. In 1995, she gave birth to a daughter. But life was still hard for her to survive that she had to return back to the factory. She spent more than 20 years working in textile factories and she is still dreaming of a decent life.

After her daughter graduated from college in Shanghai in 2013, she decided to follow her step and came to Shanghai to take care of her, Now she is 51 years old and work as a cleaner in an restaurant. She’s sometimes thinking when she gets old where she should go. 

DANZHENG ZEDAN

Danzheng Zedan is a Tibetman. He was born in 1987 in Amdo Tibetan region where people live for animal husbandry, especially yaks.

He stayed in the Tibetan region till he was 6 or 7 years’ old.

There were no schools for kids in that region. Only the monks could learn knowledge in the monastery. So they went to Aba prefecture where had 3 Schools and he started learning Chinese at 7 years’ old.

At 16, he started realized the education system did not fit him and he eventually made a big decision and dropped out of school. From then on, he worked as a dancer in Sichuan art troupe for 3 years.

In 2009, he came to Shanghai to company his sister. She had an acceptance letter from Fudan university. Now his sister has graduated as a Doctor of occupational psychology and works in Shanghai. And he is a drum teacher.