Many people look down on our migrant workers. But society is a big family. If I do not adapt myself to it, I will never be accepted. I think the best thing I can do is to keep away from bad things. I have been away from home for several years,but I have never been homesick. It is strange. Perhaps it is because I know I still have a long road to travel before going home.
Table of Contents
Preface / 9 A Family of Rural Migrant Workers / 15 Narrator 1: Old Du, male, 53, from Ducheng Town of Huanggang City, Hubei Province Job: bamboo chopstick maker Work place: Guiyang, Guizhou Province Narrator2: Du Jianguo, male, 22, first child of Old Du Job: hair salon assistant Work place: Wenzhou, Zheiiang Province Narrator3: Du Jianhong, female, 19, adopted child of Old Du Job: shoe factory worker Workplace: Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province Tale of a Couple: Twenty Years of Toil / 27 Narrator 1: Yang Shuangshuang, male, 46, from Huangpi District of Wuhan City, Hubd Province Job: road builder - food stallholder - truck driver Workplace: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region - Wuhan Narrator 2: Wang Qianlan, female, 42, wife of Yang Shuangshuang Job: waste recycler Work place: Wenzhou, Wuhan Two Years in Shenzhen / 37 Narrator: Zhang Xiaolan, female, 39, from Niefan Village of Jingmen City, Hubei Province Job: worker in a toy factory Work place: Shenzhen, Guangdong Province Making Better Neon Signs / 51 Narrator: Zhang Tieniu, male, 22, from Xiaoxi Yeying Village of Hengshui City, Hebei Province Job: welder - flyer distributor - neon sign maker Work place: Hengshui, Hebei Province I Have Never Been Homesick / 62 Narrator: Zhang Sheng, male, 20, from Qingxiu District of Nanning City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Job: hotel attendant - warehouse inspector - supervisor of leather bag processing Work place: Dongguan, Guangdong Province Can I Ever Go Back to My Studies? / 68 Narrator: Tao Fang, female, 20, from Qichun County of Huanggang City, Hubei Province Job: worker in a flax mill - waitress - worker in a clothing factory Workplace: in town - Shanghai - Shenzhen, Guangdong Province Working around China / 78 Narrator: Zhao Fangshuan, male, 23, from Zhaoxin Village in Hengshui City, Hebei Province Job: road roller driver - maintenance personnel - wedding cameraman - road worker Work place: Beijing - Dongguan, Guangdong Province - Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province - Shuozhou, Shanxi Province - Hengshui, Hebei Province I Don't Belong to the South / 94 Narrator: Wu Xiaolong, male, 19, from Hongan County of Huanggang City, Hubei Province Job: auto mechanic - worker in a diamond factory - worker in a shoe factory Workplace: Wuhan, Hubei Province - Shenzhen, Guangdong Province To Be an Independent Woman / 107 Narrator: Xiao Xiaohong, female, 27, from Qijiang Town of Longhui County, Hunan Province Job: warehouse keeper - secretary - clerk Workplace: Guangzhou - Shenzhen, Guangdong Province From Decoration Worker to Boss / 123 Narrator: Xu Dehua, male, 35, from Hefan Village of Xishui County, Huanggang City, Hubei Province Job: decoration worker - boss of a decoration company Workplace: Xi'an, Shaanxi Province A Life Combining Work and Study / 134 Narrator: Zheng Bo, male, 35, from Wangren Town, Huangshi City, Hubei Province Job: porter - manager - student of a night university Work place: Shenzhen, Guangdong Province My Grandpa / 147 Narrator: Chen Fei, male, 20, from Jidian Village in Xiaochang County, Hubei Province Job of grandpa: waste collector Workplace of grandpa: Wuhan, Hubei Province Still a Migrant Worker in My 60s / 160 Narrator: Fu Yunlal, male, 63, from Liizhai County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Job: construction worker - stevedore - shipment worker - vendor Work place: Dongguan - Shenzhen - Zhuhai in Guangdong, Nanning - Liuzhou in Guangxi I Choose to Return to School / 168 Narrator: Wu Ting, female, 22, from Jianii County, Hubei Province Job: packer Work place: Shenzhen, Guangdong Province Postscript / 180 Migrant Life: A Compendium of Photos / 182
Behind the Chinese Miracle: Migrant Workers Tell Their Stories
