By Tina Min Tang

A teacher finds more attentive students at a private elementary school because their perceived wealth indicates private tutoring and increased pressure on students to succeed. Photo: Flickr.

It was 6: 50 in the morning on August 27^th. A school tram arrived on time to pick up Kangang, a 6 year-old boy, whose parents both work as migrant workers in Dongguan. This was his first day of school. Dongguan, located in southeastern China, is renowned as the “workshop of the world” and holds the greatest number of peasant workers in China. Currently there are 549, 000 unregistered students in the city, according to the Yangcheng Evening News.

The school Kangkang attends is called Zhuoen. Formerly a public school owned by the local government, it was later purchased by the Zhuoen Educational Group and transformed into a private kindergarten and primary school. The school has trams to transport students to and from their homes every day, three on-campus meals, and afternoon recess. “It is relatively a good one, comparing to other private schools in Dongguan,” said Kangkang’s father. He has been living and working here for 12 years, yet is not a registered for permanent residence in Dongguan.

The school fees are not cheap. It costs 5000 renminbi (RMB) for one semester: 2800 RMB for tuition fees and the rest for living expenses such as food, books, school uniforms, and so on. If Kangkang went to a public school, the fees would not be so high. Going to a public school, however, would send Kangkang back to his hometown and away from his parents. It was a big decision for his family. “Grandparents can only take care of his eating and clothing. They cannot help with his studies. It is easy for them to spoil the kid as well,” say his parents. They wanted the best for Kangkang, so they sent him to this private school.

“In fact many migrant laborers would like to send their kids to public schools. But the policy is too strict,” lamented Kangkang’s father. Since 2009 the Dongguan government has implemented a new point-based policy to provide more openings for students like Kangkang. It decides students’ qualifications according to their parents’ education, professional training, length of service in the city, length of social insurance, households, and taxes. One of the problems of the policy is that many local employers provide social insurance for the employees only after the newly modified labor law of 2008.

Although there has been an increase of 1544 openings in public elementary schools this year, there are only 14564 positions for migrant children. Districts such as Fenggang have about 400 public schools, but only permits 245 applications.

Last month some schools closed down in Beijing, depriving 14,000 migrant students of education. Children are the future of a country and migrant children should not be an exception, considering the immeasurable contributions their parents make to the Chinese economy. As Premier Wen Jiabao pointed out earlier this year, the issue requires two paths of action: intensively promoting education in rural parts of the country and providing equal opportunities in urban areas. “Kids will accept excellent education no matter if they are at home or in the city,” said Premier Wen this February to Xinhua News.

By Michelle Banh

A group of young girls prepare to perform a traditional Korean dance. See something similar at this weekend's Korean Festival. Photo: Flickr.

So your parents are in town for Parents’ Weekend… Even more reason to hit the town! Show them college has made you all cultured and stuff.

Oct. 1

1. Voice your opinion on censorship in Taiwan. At noon today, Taiwanese broadcast journalists Tao and Vicky Lee hope to encourage USC students (and anyone else who wants to join) in a dialogue with the current state of media in the Republic of China (commonly known as Taiwan). Hosted by the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the discussion questions the practice of journalism as censorship has dominated the scene since the time of martial law (1948-1987). The Lees personally felt the silencing hand of censorship when Tao’s news program on TVBS exposed former president of Taiwan Chen Shui-bian’s corruption before the television program could be shut down. So, what do you have to say?

2. Question your social values with some art. Make it to the REDCAT gallery by 6 p.m. to check out their latest exhibit “Not Only Time.” The exhibit, meant to challenge social customs and hegemonic politics, displays the most recent work from Hangzhou-based artist Zhang Peili and Beijing-based artist Zhu Jia. Both artists seem to draw inspiration from historic events like the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989. While both Peili and Jia were professionally trained in oil painting, the two show new innovations in this exhibit as they experiment with video and photography. Take this opportunity to embark on a journey with the artists as they attempt to understand and reflect on the changes in contemporary China.

Oct. 2

3. Cure last night’s hangover with Thai drunken noodles. Completely kidding about the whole curing your hangover part, but Ayara Thai’s drunken noodles (rice noodles prepared with soy and fish sauce, meat, bean sprouts, chili, and basil – so there’s basically nothing alcoholic about them, sorry!) are seriously something to salivate over. The restaurant itself is definitely off the beaten path, which means free street parking/public lot and no wait! Now what makes this place a great Thai restaurant, as with any other ethnic-specific restaurant, is that it’s run and frequented by Thai people (Ayara is actually a routine stop for Thai Airways flight crews). Other recommendations include the jade curry and a dish known as “When Tigers Cry.”

4. Yoko Ono in concert… Need I say more? So, as many of you may not know – hey,, I didn’t – Yoko Ono, wife of the former John Lennon, is actually a musical artist. Now I’m not making any judgment call, but Ono’s musical style is definitely… unique, to say the least. However, for those of you still interested in Ono’s music, she will be performing at the Orpheum Theatre at 8 p.m. Make sure you purchase tickets ASAP because they’re already selling for anywhere from $57 to $147. But fear not if this ticket price seems to steep, this one is on me. Enjoy!

Oct. 3

5. To end this wonderful weekend, flock to where all the Korean foodies will be. Today will be the last day for the Los Angeles Korean Festival, a celebration of all things beautiful and delicious in Korean culture. On the schedule for today is a UCLA Hanoolim performance (a Korean cultural awareness group), Go! Line Dance, and a 3-on-3 dance battle, among other things. While you soak up some culture, don’t forget to indulge in all the food stands that will be peddling Korean staples like bulgolgi, galbi, kimchee and banchan. You will not want for more today with over 200 food booths, an international market fair, and talent shows with special performances. So head on over to Seoul International Park, I promise you won’t regret it!

In a faltering U.S. economy, some college graduates look to China for more job opportunities. Art by Philana Ho.

By Tiffany Banh

With a job market that is still stumbling for a recovery, new graduates in the United States find themselves seeking work elsewhere, particularly in China — a phenomenon that some have called America’s “brain drain.”

China, whose economy held steady as the U.S.’s, and much of Europe’s and Asia’s economies struggled to stay afloat in recent years, became the “land of opportunity” for recent graduates in 2009.

Working a minimum wage job right out of college is not exactly everyone’s case scenario. Unfortunately, many graduates are unable to pursue a career they had envisioned. There was a time when a majority of these students already had jobs lined up with companies just waiting for them to graduate. But suddenly, when the economy began to sink, companies unable to support a growing workforce began rescinding job offers.

Many graduates still endure the grueling process of endlessly searching for a job, applying for said job, and ultimately being rejected. This has been especially common in the past several years, with college graduates’ unemployment rate rising to 4.3 percent – roughly 2 million people, according to a 2009 survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

For some unable to land a job in the U.S., China now holds the promise of prosperity. An enormous 2.9 million foreigners have been reported as legal working residents in China, where they now find refuge during hard economic times. A number of U.S. citizens, Asian and non-Asian alike, have hopped on a plane headed to China for brighter job opportunities. Some of their career ventures include teaching English, working in finance and working with computers.

“If I return to China, I would only be interested in working in the private sector. There is constant government intervention in the communist country with the public sector.”

Michelle Shao, USC freshman

People of different ethnic backgrounds, especially those who don’t even speak Chinese, are transporting their lives to China. Today, China values foreigners because they offer different languages,, which means more business and therefore increased opportunities. Even those who originally left China in search of more freedom in the West now find themselves moving back to their native land.

“I plan on going to graduate school and [then] working in the U.S. for a few years. [But] I definitely see myself returning to China in the future,” said USC freshman Michelle Shao, originally from Beijing.

But even with abundant open doors in China, a number of people still feel that the lack of healthcare, education and academic freedom there keeps them in the U.S.

“If I return to China, I would only be interested in working in the private sector,” said Shao. “There is constant government intervention in the communist country with the public sector.”

It seems China is also experiencing its own brain drain. Of China’s population, 75 percent said they would easily move to the West if given the option, according to a recent news article from Chinese publication People’s Daily.