2008 Woodie Awards
United States disagrees with China, One Child Policy Act sparks issues
Casey Northcutt
Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: College Life
Each week The News will feature a different issue that affects our campus, community and ultimately our world.
Casey Northcutt
Staff writer
In a population of 1.3 billion, millions of little Chinese girls have gone missing - on purpose.
The entire world, including people in Murray, has responded.
In 1979, the Chinese government enacted its One Child Policy Act to curb the country's astronomical population growth, changing the number of children many couples could have to one.
For Lara Wang, sophomore from Shengyang, China, this meant if her parents conceived the sibling she always wanted, her father could lose his job with the government.
"I don't like it," she said. "(When I was young), I always asked my mom, 'How can I get an older brother?'"
While this has saddened many families like Wang's, it has had far greater consequences. Because the Chinese believe males are more likely to take care of their elderly parents, many couples prefer little boys and as a result, some abandon their baby girls in public places, partaking in what aid organization Gendercide Watch calls infanticide.
According to international news agency the Asia Sentinel, a 2001 survey estimated 34 million to 41 million Chinese girls were missing.
Gendercide Watch seeks to confront selective mass killings worldwide. The group said female infanticide is a phenomenon that has raged for centuries, especially in countries such as India and China.
"In all cases, specifically female infanticide reflects the low status accorded to women in most parts of the world," according to the organization's Web site, Gendercide.org. "It is arguably the most brutal and destructive manifestation of the anti-female bias that pervades 'patriarchal' societies."
But people around the world, including in the United States, have responded, opening their arms to China's unwanted. According to adoptivefamilies.com, Americans adopted 5,453 children from China last year, the largest number of adoptions outside the U.S. More than 90 percent of those children were girls.
Casey Northcutt
Staff writer
In a population of 1.3 billion, millions of little Chinese girls have gone missing - on purpose.
The entire world, including people in Murray, has responded.
In 1979, the Chinese government enacted its One Child Policy Act to curb the country's astronomical population growth, changing the number of children many couples could have to one.
For Lara Wang, sophomore from Shengyang, China, this meant if her parents conceived the sibling she always wanted, her father could lose his job with the government.
"I don't like it," she said. "(When I was young), I always asked my mom, 'How can I get an older brother?'"
While this has saddened many families like Wang's, it has had far greater consequences. Because the Chinese believe males are more likely to take care of their elderly parents, many couples prefer little boys and as a result, some abandon their baby girls in public places, partaking in what aid organization Gendercide Watch calls infanticide.
According to international news agency the Asia Sentinel, a 2001 survey estimated 34 million to 41 million Chinese girls were missing.
Gendercide Watch seeks to confront selective mass killings worldwide. The group said female infanticide is a phenomenon that has raged for centuries, especially in countries such as India and China.
"In all cases, specifically female infanticide reflects the low status accorded to women in most parts of the world," according to the organization's Web site, Gendercide.org. "It is arguably the most brutal and destructive manifestation of the anti-female bias that pervades 'patriarchal' societies."
But people around the world, including in the United States, have responded, opening their arms to China's unwanted. According to adoptivefamilies.com, Americans adopted 5,453 children from China last year, the largest number of adoptions outside the U.S. More than 90 percent of those children were girls.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
david mckinney
posted 6/28/08 @ 11:34 PM CST
hi casey this really has nothing to do with the story but do you remember me from camp folsom like a long time ago you blair and me had a great time being that week i hope to hear from you soon
Losing Weight
posted 7/06/08 @ 3:25 AM CST
Population is a serious issue in China. They are doing what they think is best for their country. It is not government policy to get rid of girls just like it is not the policy of the U. (Continued…)
shanae
posted 9/04/08 @ 12:44 PM CST
i thnk dat is stpd! wud if u had an older brother u wuldnt b here n killn grls isz totally nt kool so luk ima go over dere n blast u!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =[
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