Film throws light on having babies abroad
Source: Xinhua |
April 13, 2013, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
"Finding Mr Right," a Chinese film that details a pregnant mother's journey to the United States and avail of US citizenship for her child, has not only scored big at the box office, but also exposed a growing trend among Chinese mothers-to-be.
"It is the first time the phenomenon is being represented on screen, indicating that the number of such mothers has grown so large that they can no longer be ignored," said Anna Wu, a consultant who helps expectant mothers travel to the US to give birth.
"Giving birth abroad is no longer a privilege reserved for the wealthy," Wu said, adding that an increasing number of middle-class Chinese women are considering giving birth abroad to earn citizenship for their children.
A woman surnamed Liu said the film reminded her of her own experience of giving birth in a foreign land.
Liu said she was initially concerned about being unable to communicate with her caretakers in the US, but found on arriving in California that there were multiple facilities designed to take care of pregnant Chinese women.
The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution states that anyone born in the US is a US citizen and can obtain access to public education and vote, among other rights.
Xie Li recently returned from the US with his wife after the delivery of their second child.
He cited China's restrictive urban household registration and family planning policies, as well as its poor air and water quality, as reasons to give his child the option of becoming a US citizen. "Having a child in the US will give him an extra choice in life," said Xie, who added that having a child in the US is much easier than immigrating.
Xie estimated that the total cost would be around US$50,000 that covered airfare, medical costs and accommodation fees.
However, a Shanghai resident surnamed Wu, who also had a baby in the US, cited other problems.
Because her 15-month-old son has a US passport, the law does not allow him to be registered in his mother's area of residence, which means he will not be automatically admitted to Chinese public schools in the area.
Wu will have to register him as a foreigner and pay extra fees. He won't have easy access to public health care as well.
The family must return to the US regularly - once every two years - until the child is 18 in order to maintain his US nationality.
Dual nationality is prohibited under Chinese law.
"It is the first time the phenomenon is being represented on screen, indicating that the number of such mothers has grown so large that they can no longer be ignored," said Anna Wu, a consultant who helps expectant mothers travel to the US to give birth.
"Giving birth abroad is no longer a privilege reserved for the wealthy," Wu said, adding that an increasing number of middle-class Chinese women are considering giving birth abroad to earn citizenship for their children.
A woman surnamed Liu said the film reminded her of her own experience of giving birth in a foreign land.
Liu said she was initially concerned about being unable to communicate with her caretakers in the US, but found on arriving in California that there were multiple facilities designed to take care of pregnant Chinese women.
The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution states that anyone born in the US is a US citizen and can obtain access to public education and vote, among other rights.
Xie Li recently returned from the US with his wife after the delivery of their second child.
He cited China's restrictive urban household registration and family planning policies, as well as its poor air and water quality, as reasons to give his child the option of becoming a US citizen. "Having a child in the US will give him an extra choice in life," said Xie, who added that having a child in the US is much easier than immigrating.
Xie estimated that the total cost would be around US$50,000 that covered airfare, medical costs and accommodation fees.
However, a Shanghai resident surnamed Wu, who also had a baby in the US, cited other problems.
Because her 15-month-old son has a US passport, the law does not allow him to be registered in his mother's area of residence, which means he will not be automatically admitted to Chinese public schools in the area.
Wu will have to register him as a foreigner and pay extra fees. He won't have easy access to public health care as well.
The family must return to the US regularly - once every two years - until the child is 18 in order to maintain his US nationality.
Dual nationality is prohibited under Chinese law.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
