With much eye rolling and jaw dropping I studied the photos of 2011 student dorm rooms from Beijing University, where I used to study. The article explained that there is a huge difference between foreign and Chinese student dorms. The Chinese students were complaining about discrimination. I would like to put some perspective on this subject.
In the late 1980s the Beijing University foreign student’s dorm was called Shao Yuan. It was a “U” shaped structure with 3 sections, 6 floors, each housing about 100 students. Each building had a guard on the first floor. The guard asked all Chinese to sign in. He also manned the single telephone for 100 students.
The migrant worker says the the university student: You spent money to go to college, yet your income is the same as me who did not go to college!
There must be more to this story, but ironically I find this cartoon very funny! Workers earning the same as university grads. Mao would be happy. We see this happen here as well. Friends here in Toronto, Canada have been telling me that trades and construction workers are doing well, but university grads are starving for jobs. One hopes that education will return as being valued by employers. When I cannot say.
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Chinese University Grads, Migrant Workers earn same?
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I saw side by side Chinese tank tracks down Changan Jie
The day after 6-4 in the morning I had a lunch meeting with a friend who lives down near TAM Square. I called her and she discouraged me from going to see her, saying it was too dangerous. She and her 12 year old brother were very upset about what happened the night before. The ride down to her place was fraught with obstructions. We walked to the soldier’s front line, as close as you could get to entering the Square.
Beijing People's liberation Army and university students face each other
During the time I spent in Beijing as a student, cozily nestled amongst Chinese students, eating at their same cafeterias and freely visiting their dorms, I did not once see any violent actions. From my personal account, this protest was 100% non-violent, which makes the very violent response from the government all the more terrible.
