Essay --

Chinese Workers: Their Thoughts, Ideas, and Spirit Although many have doubts that Chinese workers work in conditions like prisons, they are still willing to work. Often these workers remain optimistic about their spirit; they never give up. Also, they never complain about their suffering in the factories. These depictions of the positive aspects of factories are never shown in the media. However, Leslie Chang discovers the true opinions of Chinese factory workers. In her speech, The Voices of China’s Workers, Leslie Chang describes the eagerness of the Chinese worker and their apathetic response towards their working conditions. Chang tells the real reason why the Chinese people leave their homes to work in the factories. Chang offers three reasons for leaving home and seeking a job far away. First, workers are eager to â€Å"learn new skills† (Chang). Most factory workers come from the poorest areas of China: these villages have no education, industry, or economy. They are just â€Å"farmers† (Chang), who cannot do any other jobs. As a result, nearly â€Å"153 million rural migrants† (Smith) work outside of their hometowns in China. Secondly, Chinese workers work in factories to â€Å"earn money† (Chang). Because many factory workers come from rural areas in China, they are faced with the challenges of reality. They have many concerns such as, â€Å"how much money I can save? How much will it take to buy an apartment or a car, to get married, or to put my child through school† (Chang). Compared to the urban areas, â€Å"salaries are far lower† (Perlin) in the rural regions. Therefore, they travel to big factory cities like Dongguan, China. Lastly, Chinese factory workers want â€Å"to see the world† (Chang). In the â€Å"impoverished provinces such as Henan, Hubei, and... ...earch. â€Å"When I first went to Dongguan, I worried that it would be depressing to spend so much time with workers. I also worried that nothing would ever happen to them, or that they would have nothing to say to me. Instead, I found young women who were smart and funny and brave and generous† (Chang). Chang creates and solves her own fallacy. Her speech proves that the Chinese workers value money and family more than the actual conditions or purpose of the job. The media shows the negative parts of Chinese factories, like the â€Å"suicide nets† (Perlin). However, the most important thing is to learn new skills and make new money, eventually returning to the village â€Å"for good† (â€Å"What Do China’s Workers Want?†). Chinese workers want the world to know they desire a successful life through their hard work; they are not afraid of the challenge and they will never give up.