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.

  • 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@sh.itjust.works
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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?

          • 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@sh.itjust.works
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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@sh.itjust.works
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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@sh.itjust.works
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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!”