Distance and Duty: Family Expectations and the Mainland Chinese Student
This article begins with the expectations and pressures that are unique to the “one-child policy” Chinese student. A quote that summarises their experience well: “Our generation of only-children is very self-conscious. For historical reasons, we must shoulder all of our parents’ goals and their ever- bigger dreams…we don’t have our independent future, but rather, re-walk the path our parents didn’t finish; we live for it and struggle for it.” The implication is not only that one who is seeking to share life and the gospel with such students needs to think carefully about how they share in a way that speaks into this felt need but also as the student becomes a Christian, to continually talk through how to live for Christ in a way that will also address honouring their parents. The article then goes on to describe explicitly the different ‘types’ of Chinese international students and what their felt needs are. The article then advises those who will befriend Chinese international students to disciple in a way that helps returnees to be willing to engage with family expectations in a Christ-centred loving way, whatever that might look like for the individual.
Since this article was written in 2017, China has abolished the one-child policy and instead encourages families to have three children. However many Chinese in their 20s come from a one-child family and this article explains some of their experience.
Taken from the Insight Magazine from Friends International in the UK. Winter 2017. Click the link below to download the article.