A weakening economy and increasing political repression are forcing ever more Chinese people to emigrate. Spurred by TikTok, many are seeking more sustainable conditions in the United States.

  • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    To hear it told some places here on Lemmy, you’d be surprised a single person would leave China.

    • cygnus@lemmy.ca
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      8 months ago

      To be fair, Lemmy was founded by tankies. That’s to be expected.

    • milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      Most Americans are trying to get their children into schools in China so they can move there long term. Chinese people are migrating to North Korea but it’s hard for Americans to get visas there.


      Edit: for the people who seem to be misunderstanding me, I want to be quite clear. Practically every American would move to North Korea to enjoy advanced society, peaceful and prosperous, if they could, only they don’t meet the strict criteria for a visa. There are a small and ever-shrinking handful who would stay in America given the chance to emigrate, but they’re either hard-line idealists who believe in the long-term rehabilitation of their country, or deluded. Most of the major demographics surveys have confirmed this, and any media that disputes it is already known to be carefully overseen by anti-humanitarian pseudo-state-funded conspirators.

      • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Most Americans are trying to get their children into schools in China

        lol wut? I’ve not met a single person trying to get their kids into schools in China. All the people I know who have immigrated from China are like “fuck that place, but I love going back because it’s my home and my family is there.”

        • PopcornTin@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Nope, it’s been stated, so it’s a fact here. You are just in your own tiny bubble of people who don’t want to live in China.

          • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            Fuck man, the bubble has followed me up and down the eastern seaboard and all the way to Texas and back. How do I get out?

            • AttackPanda@programming.dev
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              8 months ago

              That bubble also includes everywhere I have been which covers a good chunk of the west coast, southwest, and northeast. Where are these people that want to move to China? I think the only spots we haven’t covered is like Alabama and Oklahoma? So maybe they are there?

              • milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee
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                8 months ago

                They’re all the people you haven’t talked to. Practically every American. You’ve probably not even talked to 1% of Americans seriously about whether they want to move to China. Idk man, you’re just bad at statistics or something.

                *Disclaimer: I have never been to America but I’m sure I’m right.

                • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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                  8 months ago

                  I realize you’re being facetious, but you make an interesting point. That being said, I can recall having conversations about people wanting to move to many different states (ca, ma, co, tx, fl, hi, at least). And I’ve even heard people talk about wanting to move to different countries (india, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Brazil, at least) and I’ve never heard anyone say they want to move to China. I’ve had 3 close coworkers from China and asking them if they want to move back to China, they all laughed at the idea and essentially said “fuck no.” My Indian colleagues seem to be mixed on the idea of returning to their homeland.

            • milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee
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              8 months ago

              Remember what Disney taught you. “Just Believe!” When you believe, it’ll be true, and all the occasional people you meet who aren’t heading to China will be unusual outliers.

              Listen to your feelings. You know it to be true. Everyone wants to move to China. Just Believe!

      • bean@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        ….Would move to North Korea to enjoy ‘Advanced Society’…. 🤣

      • guacupado@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        lol no they’re not. North Korea is like a real-life SNL skit and China’s population and real estate will implode in a couple decades. You can’t even tell what’s sarcasm anymore because after Trump told them it’s okay, the stupid people are coming out in hordes.

        • milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          Well, luckily I’ve never met this Trump, so any stupid in me is my own bona fide stupid :-p

          Are… Are you sure you’re not itching to go to North Korea? Perhaps you’re just in denial? I mean, I’ve not been there myself but people keep saying we should look out for Korea opportunities, and I have this low, ominous feeling about going South, so I think NK must be good.

          Besides, I saw SNL once and it was funny. Sounds like an endorsement from you for NK!

      • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Do you have a source for that? I’ve heard of folks being sent to China for a work appointment, and therefore looking for schools for their kids, but never Americans just straight up moving there to make a go of it, and place their kids

        Edit and I assume when you say “most Americans” you mean “most Americans already interested in living in China” not “most Americans” because the latter would be a comical statement.

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Most Americans are trying to get their children into schools in China so they can move there long term.

        I have a bit of a hard time believing that. Where did you hear this?

        • Tangent5280@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          They hear it whenever they put their head up their ass. It’s actually just digestive noises, but this neanderthal interprets it however they want.

          • milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            Thank you, but I can hear my digestive noises quite fine without warping time and space to bend my anterior to my posterior.

            And those digestive noises do say, that every American desires a better life in North Korea, but will settle for China as second best. Don’t your digestive noises say the same thing?

        • milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          Where did you hear this?

          Somewhere sandwiched between a <Fe+> and a </Fe+>

          I thought the tone of the thread above made the irony clear, but apparently everyone took me seriously.

          • jkrtn@lemmy.ml
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            8 months ago

            It was clear. Respect to your commitment to the bit in the edit. A lesser person would have backed away instead of doubling down.

      • rbesfe@lemmy.ca
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        8 months ago

        I love advanced societies that use wood gas to power decades-old trucks

  • cygnus@lemmy.ca
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    8 months ago

    The bravery and determination of these people is mind-blowing. I feel so lazy in comparison.

  • harderian729@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Good! The more immigration the better!

    I only wish we could have a stipulation that additional immigrants must live outside of major cities, so they can help revitalize America’s dying towns.

      • harderian729@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Rural America is better than a lot of places in the world.

        I’m sure many immigrants would be ecstatic to have the opportunity.

        • rhythmisaprancer@moist.catsweat.com
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          8 months ago

          I live in a rural town (1 hour+ drive in any drection to the next town) and I could see this being a good thing if implemented correctly. This town isn’t equipped for an influx of any people, but has vacant lots that could be turned into a variety of housing. There aren’t a lot of jobs, but I would think more people would mean more things could be offered. Potentially great way to invest in rural areas!

          • harderian729@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            Heck yeah! Remember, the alternative would be these immigrants being unable to immigrate to the US!

            If they would prefer to stay outside of the US rather than live in rural America, nobody is forcing them to come!

            • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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              8 months ago

              I think we should force you to live in South Dakota, since it needs a little revitalizing.

              • milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee
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                8 months ago

                Seeing two of your comments now, I feel you have a bit of a bee in your bonnet about immigrants being forced to live places?

                Care to share more? I don’t mean to pre-judge you, I just feel there’s more behind your feelings on the matter than I understand yet.

                • WldFyre@lemm.ee
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                  8 months ago

                  How about, and this might be a little crazy, not forcing people to live somewhere?

        • milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          I imagine they would; alas it gets a lot more complicated than that.

          I’d like to see a renewed love for rural places generally, and especially in the developing world. There’s so much potential there that I feel most people don’t see.

            • milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee
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              8 months ago

              Okay I saw this and first thought it was a reply to another thread about XWindows and exTwitter.

              I’d like to see a renewed love of rural places - not by forcing people to live there.


              But in this thread’s hypothetical of immigration to rural parts, there’s a difference that it’s an invitation: you’re invited to come to our country to live in certain areas. It’s only “forcing X” if you think you’re already entitled to immigrate.

              Like, easing immigration for “skilled workers” isn’t forcing anyone to be a “skilled worker”.

              • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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                8 months ago

                People having to live in certain places aren’t being offered immigration. Immigration means becoming a citizen. Citizens of the United States are free.

                • milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee
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                  8 months ago

                  That’s a fair, and important point, I think. Though I only half agree. Gaining residency also counts as immigration, does it not? At least it’s a step in the way to full residency; and those steps do come with a limited freedom.

    • Deceptichum
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      8 months ago

      Oh we have a similar policy to that in Australia, it’s fucking awful.

      New migrants have to uproot their lives to spend 3 years living in dead end towns with zero job prospects, it’s a huge career killer and ensures immigrants have less opportunities to advance compared to other Australians. It’s also a negative in their ability to form social connections due to the lack of people, or get help from ethnic communities who can share their experiences and knowledge navigating a new country compared to their previous.

      But hey some shitty rural workplaces like abattoirs fucking love the captive workforce to exploit.

      • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        It would appear that humans, given the free choice, choose to live in cities. Forcing people to go where they’d rather not go is obviously going to be a negative.

        Anytime you override people’s freedom to choose their own path, you make things worse.

      • harderian729@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        And I’m sure many of them choose it over their previous nations.

        I don’t get what you’re trying to say here. It’s better these immigrants don’t get to immigrate?

        • Deceptichum
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          8 months ago

          What I’m saying is pretty fucking obvious.

          That forcing them to go to rural towns is bad.

          • harderian729@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            Nobody is “forcing” them to go to rural towns.

            They can choose to stay in their current nation or emigrate elsewhere if rural America is not good enough for them.

            It’s literally accepting people who otherwise would not be accepted.

            • Deceptichum
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              8 months ago

              Wow you’re so generous!

              How about simply letting them live like everyone else instead of making them second class citizens with less freedoms just because they want to immigrate?

              • harderian729@lemmy.world
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                8 months ago

                Because America’s towns are still dying and this is a way to revitalize them.

                If rural America isn’t good enough for them, they can stay in their current nation or try to move to a different one.

                The alternative would be them not having this option. This is literally nothing but gain.

                • Deceptichum
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                  8 months ago

                  The solution to dying towns isn’t to force people to go die in them as well.

                  The alternative would be to let people in without such stupid requirements.

    • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      The most beautiful and vital thing about America is freedom. If you cut that down, like by forcing people to live in a particular place, to revitalize something else, you’ve gone downhill.

    • ZK686@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      I think most will agree immigration is good, but this “let’s let everyone in!” mentality is dangerous. China is not our friend…we need to be vetting these people, making sure that everyone who’s trying to get in are properly screened.

      • harderian729@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        I don’t agree with “letting everyone in.”

        I agree with expanding immigration limits and making it easier for people to immigrate.

  • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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    8 months ago

    the article is veeery vague as to what “more” means, no actual data.

    it tells the dramatized story of one person. why would a chinese travel all the way to the us when asia has plenty of countries to go to for a fraction of the cost?

    also isnt china still seeing unprecedented growth? this article smells funny…

    • Riddick3001@lemmy.worldOP
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      8 months ago

      the article is veeery vague as to what “more” means, no actual data.

      From the article:

      "From October through January, US Border Patrol agents registered about 19,000 illegal Chinese entries. During the same period in 2021, while pandemic restrictions were still in place, only 55 were registered. "

      Sounds like more to me

      • phdepressed
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        8 months ago

        Pandemic and non-pandemic is not a good comparison, specifically for those mentioned restrictions… they note it’s the fastest growing group but link that statement to another article about Mexican migration, which had no Chinese info I saw.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    8 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    The skin beneath Guo’s pant leg is rubbed raw and, despite the bitter cold, he’s only wearing dusty plastic sandals.

    The remainder of his trek was via land, taking him through the Darien Gap, a densely overgrown rainforest that leads from Colombia into Panama.

    From there, he ultimately arrived in Jacumba Hot Springs, a tiny California town of 600 residents located about 125 kilometers (75 miles) east of downtown San Diego.

    Guo sat with his legs curled up in his arms on a plastic tarp he had laid on the ground to fight the cold of the desert morning.

    Social media channels on video and messaging platforms display the best routes for getting into the US, giving step-by-step instructions, suggesting various modes of transportation, and even listing how much border patrol agents expect to be bribed in each country along the way.

    The phenomenon of Chinese people entering the United States via the southern border has come to be described by the term “Zouxian,” which can roughly be translated as “take the risk.”


    The original article contains 867 words, the summary contains 171 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

    • ZK686@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Yea, but Lemmy is becoming like Reddit…hardcore liberal… “let everyone in, who cares!”