Though there are so many favorites, this is one of my absolute most beloved of my photos of children from our time in China. The joy in this little girl is so evident, in her face and in her motion. And it's so easy to see from the way her father's cheek turns toward her, from the pride on his face, and from the way he holds her, his love for this child. They say there are few girls in Chinese families these days, but what we saw told a different story. As a foreigner, I don't pretend to know any more than a tiny portion of the whole picture...but what I saw is that the Chinese love their girls. There is certainly an element of cultural leanings involved in the imbalance, and an element of pure necessity in the one-child policy and its ramifications. But just look at this picture and you can see that these parents love their girls, just like any parent on this earth.
3 comments:
Bonjour Maia, je ne pense pas que le problème vienne des pères, c'est encore dans certaines traditions que l'on retrouve cette préférence pour les garçons.Mais un grand changement est en cours, vers la liberté! C'était le même problème en Corée, et maintenant il y a de grandes publicités pour vanter le bonheur des parents qui ont 2 filles!!!moi j'en ai 4....
Those who chose to keep their daughters perhaps enjoyed a more secured economic status. Regardless weather they kept them or relinquished them, I have no doubt they loved them with all of their heart.
Maia,
Indeed, it is infrained in the Chinese to have a "preference" for a son who can carry their last name / family name. I was guilty of that (was being the operative word), being of Chinese descent myself. But perhaps, more and more, we are realizing that ALL children are a blessing (even when they are in their terrible two's like mine is!).
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