The Revolution 

of The XXI Century 

     March 5, 2013 was the exact moment when everything went out of

control in Venezuela. At that time, no one knew about the consequences

of  President Hugo Chavez’s death, except for his closest circle of

lakeys. Subsequently, these politicians started to address a new brand demagogy

speech and referred to the dead President Chávez as a martyr. Once again,

corrupt and misguided politicians rose to the stage  for the purpose of taking

advantage of the natural resources and finances belonging to the

country. After hundreds of bad economic decisions. This new president

injected the corruption deeper inside of each public institution and

disregarded the criminality. Venezuela entered into a humanitarian crisis,

and there was a lack of medicine, food and water. In addition, the

hyperinflation has been getting worse day by day. As a consequence

of this crisis, every day people went out to  march and protest against

Nicolas Maduro’s new government. I have supported the political cause

against him in many ways. Being defense lawyer was one of the most

important for me, when I worked in The Justice Palace in Caracas.

The government's order is still to put everybody in jail and charged

them for crimes like aggravated homicide. Then for the purpose of

giving the freedom to protesters; judges, district attorneys and private

lawyers joined efforts to struggle with the order to keep everybody

in maximum security jails. Maduro broke the balance of the justice

system. He indirectly fired judges, removed district attorneys and went

after public and private defenders to obtain their resignations in these

cases. Considering, I was one of those defense lawyers. I am a victim of

what they call The Revolution of the XXI Century.

    Emigration for me was always the last point on my list of solutions

for the crisis in my country. However,  due to the extreme danger of death

or prison, I made the most important decision in my life to leave

my country. I knew that I could not survive in jail in my country,

much less without committing  a crime, so that was my breaking

point. I had no option. The police government went after me

for a political case. They put a gun on my face and threatened

me for doing the right thing. What was that? I was defense lawyer

of a protester who was tortured. As long as I became aware

of that situation, I struggled in that political case to keep

the protester alive, because he was seriously injured. Instead

of taking him to the hospital which police government refused to do.

They kept him in jail with any medical care, so I feared his death.

Due to what happened, I preferred to bring the last option to the

first place, and I left the country.    

     Starting my life all over again, after thirty-one years. I landed

in Chicago in February 2017. My whole life was in a suitcase.

I left my family, and the place where I lived and grew up.

I remember how shocked I felt to start all over again. I looked for

a new job and a new house. I had to buy clothes for winter.

Whatever situation I faced in my country,  stayed in the past.

One of my first steps in Chicago was to enroll in a community

college because I needed to communicate with everybody

using both languages, Spanish and English. Next, I had to

find an apartment for me, cheap of course. I fact I could not afford

a bed when I arrived here, so adjusting to my budget was

my objective. I needed to be realistic and understand that

I will live alone in a different country. Beyond the basic

things, the hardest one was working in other areas, since I was

twenty years old I had worked  behind a desk, regarding that

I was totally aware that I needed to make money to pay my bills.

Therefore, do not working should not be an option; thus, I

found a job making salads in a restaurant, even though I had never

cooked before. As usual, I made jokes about fresh starts making

five hundred salads a day. 

     After two years, I think I have to find a different sight of my future.

My new perspective is to keep learning about marketing, norms,

and businesses. Speaking of learning, right now learning

English is my priority. I have to make things work here because

I could in my country and in Venezuela, it was like going against the

current for the humanitarian crisis, hyperinflation, and much more.

Why can’t I make things work here. Chicago is the third largest city

in the United States, with a solid economic bases, and a multicultural

and friendly population. I am certain that dreams can come true here.

If I fail, I'm going to try again. However, how many revolutions

does one have to live through to get up and leave their comfort zone?

What has to happen to a person to realise that everyday is a new

beginning! Well, that is the only positive result of the worst revolution

in the world.  

      The wave of Venezuelan migration is the worst in South America.

The political discontent, corruption, danger, and shortage of food,

medicine, and water have caused millions Venezuelans to emigrate

without control, and people all over the continent have been affected

in a negative way like Colombia, Curazao and Chile. I’m one of them.

I emigrated to the United States because I was looking for to be safe,

healthy and a better future.  For somebody to take over the Venezuela

dictatorship government would be a miracle for millions of people from

my country who are now living in exile. Whichever happens, I can’t

wait to share my stories with my children. I will talk about that Venezuela

is a beautiful country and also is full of young and brave people

who fought for freedom. I started to plant roots in a different country,

and I will explain to them why and how I started my life again.

Transmitting that will be my mission to make them strong

Venezuelan-Americans. 

Turning Point

Wanling He

ESL 100 CE

October 7, 2019

Turning Point

            Because my niece lives in this age of technological development, she has never thought that life was so hard in the past. I still remember when my grandfather told me that he did not have any television, computers, and lacked delicious food when he was a child. In addition, in order to support my grandfather’s family, he needed to share the housework and take care of his sisters and brothers who were younger than him when he was eight years old. This was all because of Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution which caused the slow development of productivity, a widespread famine, and the disruption of education between 1966 to 1970. After this difficult period, the government decided to adopt reform. It vigorously developed productivity and conducted education. Because the Economic Opening of China by Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s, my family’s lives became easier and more comfortable.

            My parents had a good opportunity to work in a factory and earn money to improve the life at home after the Economic Opening of China. At that time, because the economy was developing very fast, a lot of factories were built. After that, my parents seized the opportunity to work in a factory because they needed to earn more money to support their family. They worked hard for me, so I could eat well and stay warm with my brother. In addition, they always sent money to me when they got paid. Moreover, they would buy some new things for us when they came back home, such as beautiful dresses, cool toys, and delicious food which we could not find in a village. The Economic Opening of China made my family’s life more comfortable.

            Moreover, due to the increase in salary, my grandfather was able to buy a bicycle, so he saved more time when he went to places. My grandfather was born and lived in a village, which was small and far from the city, so the transportation was not convenient. After the Economic Opening, if my grandfather wanted to buy and sell some things, he had to walk two to three hours and carry heavy goods to the big market which was the nearest store to his village. After the Economic Opening, my grandfather bought a bicycle which could not only save the time on the way to a market, but also reduce the hard work of carrying goods. My grandfather told me that he was very happy after he had a bicycle because he could have extra time to play cards with friends. A bicycle reminded my grandfather of the happy stories of those years.

            Furthermore, I could go to school with my brother without working. My brother and I were very lucky because my parents gave us money to go to school. Therefore, we did not have any financial pressure that could limit our education. However, when my parents were children, they needed to make money by themselves to go to school. At that time, my parents needed to do the housework and follow their father to go to the market to sell things to earn money. Life was difficult, so many children like their age did not have a chance to go to school and choose to drop out school. My father always said that my brother and I should be glad that we were born in an era of economic improvement.

            In conclusion, with the development of the economy, my family members’ lives become richer and more comfortable. We have been pursuing high-tech products which were beautiful clothes that came from big cities, delicious food which came from the world, and convenient transportation which could save more time. Looking back, my family members should be grateful for the Economic Opening of China because it guided them to the right path. It allowed my parents to find a better job, my grandfather to have faster transportation, and my brother and I to have a comfortable learning environment. I think the Economic Opening was a turning point which made my family members’ lives better and better.

 

Great Changes

Yafen Chen
ESL 100
November 05, 2019

Great Changes

        When the people’s Republic of China was built, it was poor. Reform and Opening up was a great and successful attempt in Chinese history, and it led China closer to the world and other powerful countries. China has implemented Deng Xianping’s policy. Since China adopted the Reform and Opening up strategy for economic development, some country had flourished fast. China implemented the policy of Reform and Opening up, and tremendous changes have taken place in politics, economy, and life. Moreover, after the Reform and Opening up, great changes and improvements have taken place in the life of my parents. Reform and Opening up affect my parents’ housing, standard living and employment. 

     The first effect was my parents were able to change the place where my parents lived. With the development of economy, my parents moved from the countryside to the city. For example, before the Reform and Opening up, my parents lived in an old run down house. My parents told me that they used to live in a small house, and they used public restrooms and kitchens. After the Reform and Opening up, there were many high and beautiful buildings in the city. When my parents moved to the city, life became more convenient and safer. After the Reform and Opening up, it has a great influence on the place where my parents lived.  

      The second aspect was my parents’ living standard had also improved a lot. Their standard living is expressed in eating. For one thing, my parents used to need food tickets for everything they wanted to buy, and food tickets were used like money. There was a limited supply of food from government. However, they no longer needed food tickets after the Reform and Opening up. Because with the development of economy, my parents did not have to worry about the food. They had food to eat every day, and they could afford it. Next, my parents used to have incomplete and inconvenient equipment at home. For example, they did not have a TV, rice cooker, or motorcycle before, but after Reform and Opening up, they had everything. In short, Reform and Opening up had a certain impact on the living standard of my parents. 

Finally, my parents got a new job after the policy was Reform and Opening up. My parents grew up in the countryside, so their job was only did farm work. There was no wage for farm work. They just want to support themselves. After Reform and Opening up, they moved to the city. They found a new job and earned a salary. In addition, my mother worked in the service industry, and my father worked in architecture. Having a new job had greatly improved the quality of life for my parents. 

Reform and Opening up, it has a great positive influence on my parents. Housing, standard living and employment are all connected to each other. In addition, China is progressing, and people’s life will be better and better in the future. In this regard, great changes have taken place in people's life, people have enough to live comfortably. Reform and Opening up has a great change on my parents’ life.  

 

A Double-edged sword

Xiaojun Huang

ESL 100CE

November 5, 2019

A Double-Edged Sword 

I believe most people know about Xi Jinping who is the chairman of China. Every leader of China has had his trophy projects. One of Xi Jinping’s trophy projects in 2013 is called The Belt and Road in 2013. Some people call it Road Extension as well. The initial goals of the strategy are transferring China’s excess goods and protecting China’s energy. Furthermore, the project is also about making economic cooperation with other countries, strengthening the infrastructure of the roads, and developing the Western Region of China. Therefore, the government wanted to tear down our houses to build the roads. During six months of negotiations, my family decided to leave our hometown to resettle in Dongguan with compensation from the government. Even though it was advantageous to China, it had a “double-edged sword” effect on my family.  

When the government started to carry out The Belt and Road project in 2013, there were more job opportunities. It innovated some industries, and it also promoted the development of the railroad, electricity and engineering machinery. The companies offered more opportunities, so it had a significant influence on unemployed people. Meanwhile, it was much easier to find a job for everyone. The railroad companies hired many unemployed people to be laborers. The unemployed people could also be electric machinists. My father worked in a factory before, but he was laid off in 2010 because of bankruptcy. Therefore, he often hung around the home. However, when my father got a job, he started a new life as a diver. His job was to transfer the excess quality goods to other regions. It made full use of domestic markets. Even though it was not a hard job, I was proud of what my father did. He became ambitious and motivated. His treatment at work became better and better. Gradually, he earned a higher income, and my family had a better quality of life. 

However, there was also a negative influence on my great-grandmother. My great-grandmother was an old fashioned and traditional woman. She regarded her hometown as her roots. Once she left her hometown, she thought she was going soon to meet her ancestors. We tried to explain to her why we needed to leave, but she still thought leaving hometown was a beginning sign of her death. Nevertheless, she was too old to oppose the family’s decision. She moved to Dongguan with us, but she became depressed and often got sick. Dongguan is a modern city. It is filled with tall buildings. It is totally different than my hometown. My great grandmother was too old to adapt to the new environment, and she rejected everything. She started to complain about living in this new place. Most of the time she argued about it with my parents. Moreover, I could hear her mutter in her sleep. Therefore, The Belt and Road caused an unfriendly atmosphere for my family. 

In addition, when my family became well-off, I realized I became a stay-at-home child. Because my parents wanted to make a living, they always worked hard day and night. Moreover, my grandparents lived with my uncle. They could not take care of me most of the time, so it looked like I lived alone. The Belt and Road increased education’s investment. As a result, it was easy for me to pay the university tuition and this meant I had a chance to get a higher education. I could also buy the clothing what I want. I had a better quality of life because my parents got a better job. However, my parents became busier and they spent less time with me. For instance, my parents worked outside, and they always came back home twice a month. Because they worked far away from our house, sometimes they lived in the company’s dormitory. I rarely saw my parents at home, and I became a stay-at-home child and felt lonely.  

In the end, I could not deny the positive effects of the policy on my family, but sometimes the negative effects were inevitable. It was like a double-edged sword. My parents could get a better job and made a better quality of my life, and the tuition was not a big burden for me anymore. The policy promoted the development of the economy, and it made my family wealthy. On the other hand, it caused some bad effects as well. My great-grandmother became depressed, and I became a stay-at-home child. Since I moved to Chicago, I spend more time with my family. I realize if the negative effects are unavoidable, then I just need to reduce the bad effects on us. I have gotten to know more about my parents after moving to Chicago, and I communicate frequently with my family to strengthen our relationship.  

Precious Treasure

Precious Treasure

 In the Spring Festival Gala of 1999, a famous comedian offended all workers in China because of a line he said in his performance: For the sake of the country, workers should be laid off voluntarily. In 1998, the economy of China was on the verge of collapse. The Chinese government decided to sell state-owned enterprises to private companies. At that time, the biggest problem of the enterprises was that capacity was much greater than demand, which meant there were too many workers in the factories. Therefore, when the new owners took over the enterprises, the lay-off of those redundant workers was inevitable. My parents were on the list of the redundant workers. Their lay off was a nightmare for my family, but on the other hand, it gave me an unusual opportunity for growth.

The first year after getting laid off, my parents were exhausted trying to adapt to their new job. My father was lucky. He was rehired to his old position, but got two times less payment than before. He worked six days instead of five and always worked overtime. Sometimes, I couldn’t see him for days because he came back home after I went to bed and left before I woke up. However, my mother didn't have the fortune to get her job back. Instead, she sold cigarettes on the street, but she could only earn at most five cents with each pack. Even worse, selling cigarettes on the street was illegal because she didn’t have the license to sell cigarettes. Thus, she had to go out early in the morning in order to hide from the police. Every time I saw their exhausted faces, I admired the positive attitude as they faced the biggest change in their lives.

Although my parents worked very hard, it was hard to get back to our normal life. In the past, working in a state-owned enterprise could offer people a stable life. My parents could not only make money, but also earn daily bonuses, like rice, oil, even soap. Therefore, it was easy to put away some money and buy something nice. After the new owner took over the enterprise, he paid the salary only, but cut off all the extra perks. Due to this, my family lived in poverty for years after they got laid off. I remembered that we almost ate cabbage and potatoes every day. Furthermore, my mother lost her job which meant she didn’t have health insurance anymore. One time, she fell down and hit herself on the edge of a chair. It was a bad injury because she had a swollen lump on her chest. She didn’t go to see a doctor. Instead, she lay in bed for a month because she was too hurt to move. However, regardless of how hard life was, they never complained.

While my parents worked so hard for our family, I realized that I needed to do something to relieve their burden. After their job changed, my parents were too busy to clean the house. Therefore, I started to do some housework, such as washing dishes and mopping the floor. Likewise, I learned to cook, so that I could prepare breakfast and dinner for them. In addition, I did some part-time jobs too. My first part-time job was giving out leaflets. I didn’t make a lot of money. When I handed my first salary to them, my mother reproached me that I should focus on my classes. However, I could see from their eyes that they were proud of me. What I learned that time influences me even now. The life skills I gathered back that time helped me a lot since I came to the United States alone.

There is saying that you can’t see a rainbow without experiencing wind and rain. The economic downturn in 1998 was a disaster for countless people. Meanwhile, the loss of their jobs gave my family a hard time too, but also tightly bonded us. My parents didn’t give up when they lost their job or complain about the low standard of living. They also encouraged me to do what I could do to help the family. I found I love them more than ever since we overcame the difficulty, and so do they. I saw many families break because of the lay-offs, but I believe that as long as you can make it from the difficulty, the experience you have been through will become the most precious treasure in your life.