Struggling for a Better Life.docVIP

Struggling for a Better Life 　　IN recent years its been thecase that any major event inChina makes big internation-al news. whether good-likeits heartening growth-or bad,such as food contaminationscandals. The world media alsosystematically chases the ex-panding class of nouveau riche.sports heroes and entertainmentstars in the nation. Yet scant talkis heard of the less exciting sto-ries about Chinas average loe orJane, how they get by day to daycoping with all the uncertainty,oromise and stress of a societyin flux. To add the missing pieceto the China nuzzle, the NewWorld Press released Real LifeStories of Migrant Workers andUrban Transplants, part of theseries One Hundred ChinesePeoples Dreams. The book is acollection of ten warts-and-allnarrations by selected migrantwoders. Thev represent themost vulnerable group in thecountry, clustered far from theirrural hometowns in big cities.and subjected to poor workingconditions, late paychecks andintermittent employment. 　　Each story is told in thetellers own voice:the authorsrendering highlighting theiroersonal and individual human-itv. An Dun only supplementstheir narration, confined to briefcomments and backgroundinformation at the conclusion ofeacn monologue. 　　Migrant workers accountfor over half the population inmany of Chinas metropolisessuch as Beijing and Shanghai.Without a local hukou, or per-manent residency permit, theyare stripped of many benefitsand conveniences associatedwith that status, and simply naveto struggle harder to achievea decent, dignified life in thebig bad underbellies of urbansettings. Some succeed, but themajority are trapped in limboon the fringes of society. As onenarrator, casual laborer ZhouShuheng, put it:Recalling nowall the details of my life as a mi-grant worker, I realize that life isnatural y very difficult for mostpeople who walkthis path. Butfew have paid any attention tous. We have endured so much.but what have we got for it? 　　Despite the deep bitternesstoward the nerc