农民工英文资料.docx

农民工英文资料.docx

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农民工英文资料

China

MigrantworkersinChinaaremostlypeoplefromimpoverishedregionswhogotomoreurbanandprosperouscoastalregionsinsearchofwork,hencetheyarethemainforceforurbanizationinthePeople'sRepublicofChina.AccordingtoChinesegovernmentstatistics,thecurrentnumberofmigrantworkersinChinaisestimatedat120million,approximately9%ofthepopulation.China¡¯surbanmigrantssenthometheequivalentofUS$65.4billionin2005.[2]Chinaisnowexperiencingthelargestmassmigrationofpeoplefromthecountrysidetothecityinhistory.Anestimated230millionChinese（2010）¡ªanumberequivalenttotwothirdsthepopulationoftheUnitedStates¡ªhaveleftthecountrysideandmigratedtothecitiesinrecentyears.About13millionnewpeoplejointhelegionseveryyear.Thenumberisexpectedtoreach250millionby2012andsurpass300millionandmaybereach400millionby2025.

Manyarefarmersandfarmworkersmadeobsoletebymodernfarmingpracticesandfactoryworkerswhohavebeenlaidofffrominefficientstate-runfactories.Theyincludemenandwomenandcoupleswithchildren.Menoftengetconstructionjobswhilewomenworkincheap-laborfactories.MostcomefromSichuan,Hunan,Henan,AnhuiandJiangxiProvinces.A60-year-oldgrandmotherfromSichuanwhowasaslaboreronaconstructionsiteinShanghaitoldtheLosAngelesTimes,¡°Ifyou¡¯rewillingtowork,youcangetajobhereevenifyou¡¯reold.¡±

Somanymigrantsleavetheirhomeslookingforworktheyoverburdentherailsystem.IntheHunanprovince,52peopleweretrampledtodeathinthelate1990swhen10,000migrantswereherdedontoafreighttrain.Tostemtheflowofmigrants,officialsinHunanandSichuanhaveplacedrestrictionsontheuseoftrainsandbusesbyruralpeople.

MostmigrantworkershavetraditionallygonetoBeijing,Shanghai,Shenzhenandthecoastalcitiesbutmoreareheadingtotheinteriorwherenewopportunitiesareopeningupandthereislesscompetition.Insomecities,themigrantsalmostoutnumbertheresidents.ThesmallindustrialcityofYiwu,forexample,inZhejiangProvince,ishometo640,000officialresidentsandamigrantpopulationofseveralhundredthousand.

Theboomingcitiesaredesperateforcheaplaborwhilethecountrysideisexperiencinglaborsurpluses.Thecitiesprovidesomuchworktheyaresometimescalled¡°factorieswithoutchimneys.¡±

Themigrationisallthemoreextraordinarywhenoneconsidersthatthegovernmenthastriedtorestrictit.OneyounggirltoldNationalGeographic,¡°Alltheyoungpeopleleaveourvillage.I¡¯mnotgoingback.Manycan¡¯tevenaffordabusticketandhitchhiketoBeijing."

Overall,theChinesegovernmenthastacitlysupportedmigrationasmeansofprovidinglaborforfactoriesandconstructionsitesandforthelongtermgoalsoftransformingChinafromarural-basedeconomytoanurban-basedone.Someinlandcitieshavestartedprovidingmigrantswithsocialsecurity,includingpensionsandotherinsurance.

MIGRANTWORKERSINCHINA

Chinaisnowexperiencingthelargestmassmigrationofpeoplefromthecountrysidetothecityinhistory.Anestimated230millionChinese（2010）¡ªanumberequivalenttotwothirdsthepopulationoftheUnitedStatesfourthreetimesthenumberofpeoplewhoemigratedtoAmericanfromEuropeoveracentury¡ªhaveleftthecountrysideandmigratedtothecitiesinrecentyears.About13millionnewpeoplejointhelegionseveryyear.Thenumberisexpectedtoreach250millionby2012andsurpass300millionandmaybereach400millionby2025.

Manyarefarmersandfarmworkersmadeobsoletebymodernfarmingpracticesandfactoryworkerswhohavebeenlaidofffrominefficientstate-runfactories.Theyincludemenandwomenandcoupleswithchildren.Menoftengetconstructionjobswhilewomenworkincheap-laborfactories.MostcomefromSichuan,Hunan,Henan,AnhuiandJiangxiProvinces.A60-year-oldgrandmotherfromSichuanwhowasaslaboreronaconstructionsiteinShanghaitoldtheLosAngelesTimes,¡°Ifyou¡¯rewillingtowork,youcangetajobhereevenisyou¡¯reold.¡±

Somanymigrantsleavetheirhomeslookingforworktheyoverburdentherailsystem.IntheHunanprovince,52peopleweretrampledtodeathinthelate1990swhen10,000migrantswereherdedontoafreighttrain.Tostemtheflowofmigrants,officialsinHunanandSichuanhaveplacedrestrictionsontheuseoftrainsandbusesbyruralpeople.

MostmigrantworkershavetraditionallygonetoBeijing,Shanghai,Shenzhenandthecoastalcitiesbutmoreareheadingtotheinteriorwherenewopportunitiesareopeningupandthereislesscompetition.Insomecities,themigrantsalmostoutnumbertheresidents.ThesmallindustrialcityofYiwu,forexample,inZhejiangProvince,ishometo640,000officialresidentsandamigrantpopulationofseveralhundredthousand.

Theboomingcitiesaredesperateforcheaplaborwhilethecountrysideisexperiencinglaborsurpluses.Thecitiesprovidesomuchworktheyaresometimescalled¡°factorieswithoutchimneys.¡±

Themigrationisallthemoreextraordinarywhenoneconsidersthatthegovernmenthastriedtorestrictit.OneyounggirltoldNationalGeographic,¡°Alltheyoungpeopleleaveourvillage.I¡¯mnotgoingback.Manycan¡¯tevenaffordabusticketandhitchhiketoBeijing."

Overall,theChinesegovernmenthastacitlysupportedmigrationasmeansofprovidinglaborforfactoriesandconstructionsitesandforthelongtermgoalsoftransformingChinafromarural-basedeconomytoaurban-basedone.Someinlandcitieshavestartedprovidingmigrantswithsocialsecurity,includingpensionsandotherinsurance.

GoodWebsitesandSources:

ChinaLaborBulletin（Chinesegovernmentsources）china-labour.org;2009NewYorkTimesarticle;ChinaBeatblogreport;ChildrenofMigrantworkersChinaLaborBulletin;LinksinthisWebsite:

URBANLIFEINCHINAF

UrbanMigrationPatternsinChina

MigrantworkerslookingforworkOneinfourresidentsofBeijingisamigrantfromthecountryside.ThelaborofBeijing¡¯sfourmillionmigrantworkershasbeenessentialtobuildingthecity.Peoplewithskilledjobssuchasweldersonhighrisesgetpaid$280amonth.

Themigrantworkdrivebeganinearnestin1992,whenChina¡¯scoastaleconomicpowerhousesfoundtheycouldnotgrowfurtherwithoutthegovernmentlooseningtravelrestrictionstoattractworkersfromalloverChina.So,morepersonalfreedomtomovearoundChinawasunleashedthen.[Source:

ThomasL.Friedman,NewYorkTimes,August31,2008]

Sociologistscallthemigrationtothecitiesthe"brightlightseffect."Inmostcasesvillagemenheadofftocitiestofindwork,leavingtheirwivesandchildrenbehindtoraisethechildrenandtakecareoftheirland.Themenoftengetmenialjobsandsendthemoneyback.Afteramanestablisheshimselfinthecityheisjoinedbyhiswifeandchildren,thennephewsandunclesandotherextendedfamilymembers,whointurnestablishthemselvesandarejoinedbytheirfamiliesandextendedfamilies.

Thepoorestofthepoorusuallydon'tmigratetothecitiesorabroad,ratheritspeoplethatcanscrapetogethersomeextramoneyforthetrip.Somepeoplemovetothecitiestoseekabetterlife.Otherhavebeendrivenofftheirlandasaresultofsoildepletion,erosionordisasters.Membersofthelatergrouparesometimesdescribedasenvironmentalrefugees.

Migrationtothecitieshasbeendescribedas¡°themosteffectivewayforreducingthebirthrate¡±andimprovinglife.Thepoorgenerallyhavebetteraccesstoeducation,healthcare,safewater,sanitationinthecitiesthantheywouldinthecountryside.TheWorldBankhascalledmigration¡°apowerfulforceforpovertyreduction.¡±In2005,200millionmigrantsaroundtheworldsenthome$167billion.Thatistwicethesizeoftheworld¡¯sdevelopmentspending,andupfrom$31billionin1990.

Everyyear,duringthelunarNewYear,130millionworkersreturnfromChina¡¯sindustrialcitiestotheirhomesinthecountryside,Somehavecalledthistemporaryshiftinpopulationthelargesthumanmigrationintheworld.

SeeFilm,LastTrainHome

MigrantWorkersinChina

Therearearound145millionmigrantsworkers（11percentofthetotalpopulation,2010）¡ªlargerthantheentireworkforceoftheUnitedStates¡ªworkinginChinaatanygiventime.Themigratinglaborersworkforlowpay,oftenunderhorrendousconditions,infactories,atconstructionsites,inminesandonrailroadsandroads.Theyworkinrestaurants,dieincoalmines,makebricks,peddlebicycletodelivercoalandpickuptrash.Theyfollowjobsfromcitytocity.OneworkertoldtheTimesofLondon,¡°Wedothedirtiestandhardestworkandeveryonedespisesus.¡±

OnthemigrantsinBeijing,JamesFallowswroteinTheAtlanticMonthly,¡°Countrypeoplestandoutintheurbancrowd.Theirhandsandfacesaremoreweathered,theirclothessimplerandmoreragged.Oftentheymoveabouttownluggingunwieldybundlesofbeddingandbelongingwrappedinplaid-patternedwoven-plasticfabricthatsomehowhasbecomethestandardforsuchpurposesinpoorcountriesaroundtheworld.¡±

Althoughtheyareasourceofgreatsocialupheavalinthevillagesandcitiesmigrantworkerskeepvillagesgoingthatmightotherwisediebyprovidingrelativesbackhomewithmoneyandtheykeepcitiesgoingbyprovidingthecheaplaborthatfuelseconomicgrowth.

SomehavedescribedthemigrationofworkersinChinaasthelargestpeacetimemovementofhumanityever,dwarfingtheIrishandItalianmigrationstoAmerica（theentireIrishmigrationtoAmericabetween1820and1930wasaround4.5million