Chinese Whispers by Hsiao-Hung Pai - Literature review Example

Chinese Whispers Hsiao – Hung Pai Submitted by: XXXXXXXXXX Number: XXXXXXX of XXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXXX Name: XXXXXXX Date of Submission: XX – XX – 2010 Number of Words: 2035 (Excluding Bibliography) Chinese Whispers is an excellent book which brings out the story of people we know and recognize each day. The book indicates the lives of several different people we see in our daily lives, like the local Chinese restaurant and the harassed waitress, the builders who work without any form of protection and at really funny hours and also the Chinese illegal who are found dead. The book brings out the story of the Chinese migrant workers and brings out the plight of these workers. The author has in a very straight forward manner and with a high level of intensity brought out the issues that the Chinese workers face each day, and how although there is a high awareness of the issues being faced by people working in the sweatshops in developing countries like India and China, however one thing which most people tend to overlook is the people who work at the local sweatshops even now operating within Britain. The author brings out in this book that there is a major issue that the Chinese migrant workers tend to face mainly due to high levels of exploitation and due to their own vulnerable nature as well. The author has very effectively explained the ill effects of globalization and has also brought out how the boom of the new Chinese economy is in a number of ways killing a number of people within the country itself. The author brings out that the strategic decisions being made by people to overcome and stop the sweatshops and child labor in other developing counties is not the only areas that need to be considered. The sweatshops within Britain are also following unruly manners of dealing with the people and to a great extent, are leaving the Chinese illegals to be living in inhumane conditions. This needs first attention and focus rather than focusing on other areas in other countries. Although the author does not express this as incorrect strategy, the author tries to explain the need to stop the Chinese exploitation in the UK. The Chinese are brought to the country illegally and are forced to work in different jobs with no breaks and made to live in inhumane conditions with no care from anyone. This the author explains is a major issue in the strategies of people trying to assist and cut down the ill – treatment of people. This is a sector of the society that needs assistance and needs to be focused upon to help the people and to ensure that the people are not exploited. The main errors here is that although the people have the work permits and are allowed to work, the policies in the United Kingdom government push these people to be exploited and literally be forced to work in inhumane conditions. Hence these are a few of the main areas where the strategies of made by society or by the protagonist both now and earlier are incorrect and ineffective. The author has very effectively brought out the process that the Chinese workers go through and the issues that they face. These people are sent away from home where the families scramble and get loans and pay the middlemen to somehow get the individual into the United Kingdom. Here the people are left to live in miserable conditions where they get space as much as just a simple mattress in a room filled with a number of other illegals. The author expresses all of these issues and brings out the need for the society and the protagonist, to focus on the lives of the people. The author has written out this book which has turned out to be an eye opener for a number of the readers. It brings to light how the modern day life people are more focused on the shopkeeps and the capitalist nature and no focus on the labor aspects at all. The author brings out how we forget the aspects of exploitations and do not focus on what is going on within our own country. The author urges people to look beyond the products and look beyond the daily eyesight, into the back end of kitchens and the industrial estates where there is undue advantage being taken of the Chinese who are vulnerable and do not have an option to be able to survive in the markets. Providing a clear explanation of the issues and the process chain that the Chinese immigrants need to face each day, the author leads the readers into the world of exploitation and the abusive lives that the Chinese immigrants live each day in the UK. There is clearly a logical explanation of the situation and the author brings out why a number of people start the dangerous journey from China in order to reduce the burden of their debt and fall into the trap of inhumane behavior and horrible living conditions. The author uses all these examples and urges people to change their strategy to work towards helping these people out of difficult situations and to give them a chance to improve their lives and live with dignity and pride. After having read this book, the author’s style of writing as well as the intense description of the life that the immigrants are living along with their hopes and desires in life, the author has been able to provide an excellent lesson for all readers. A lesson that broadens the understanding of the system and the exploitation that is currently prevalent in the country. Hsiao – Hung’s book is an excellent investigation that brings out the hidden world around all of us and how although living amidst all these, the general population is unaware of the issues and is not aware of the lives of the migrant labor. Unlike several other books, this book does not make up far flung places and stories of the issues that are being faced but focuses on the current situation within the country. This helps us also identify with the terrors within our own society and helps us realize the difficulties that the society puts through on the people who come to UK in search of a better life in order to earn enough to be able to overcome their debts and issues back home. Hsiao – Hung’s book also very effectively brings out in a very convincing manner how these Chinese people contribute to the growth of the country and the overall GDP of the country; however these people are ironically the worst treated within the country. This book is an excellent story that brings out the lives of illegal workers in Britain from the eyes of the actual ‘illegal’ workers. Hsiao – Hung an ex – Guardian reporter has been able to very effectively bring out this and has been able to touch the lives of many across the world. The author has although been able to live a normal life as a Britain legal, brought out the lives of the immigrants who are classed as sub humans or sub Britain. The author has been able to effectively bring out the heart touching story of the illegals of the country, who work over twelve to thirteen hours a day and are not able to expose themselves due to the constant fear of being deported. It is very convincing and readers can without a doubt be sure of what the author is explaining. The story of the injustice, slavery, and high levels of poverty as well as the cruelty faced by the people and still the need to live like ghosts with no identity and no exposure to the world. The example that the author provides of the girl who was bullied each day and hardly came home to get some sleep and again gets ready for the next day’s work is a heartfelt story and increases the overall acceptability and makes the book very convincing to the readers. The example reads, “The first few nights I was just crying in bed. Working like a machine, getting bullied by the agency people, the factory supervisors, coming home every day just to sleep and get ready for the next days work... Its like being a robot. I ask myself, what will all this bring?” (Pai, 2008). Here it would be worth mentioning the quote by Felicity Lawrence which reads, “A haunting journey into the hearts of migrants’ lives in Britain. You cannot but be gripped, moved and shamed’ (Pai, 2008). The best elements of this book, revolves around the overall issues of the illegal immigrants and also on the lives that they live with no clear status. However the author has been able to effectively bring out various aspects of the lives in a clear and concise manner with clear divisions and explanations of various aspects like how although the individuals work hard, they need to be invisible and how although they have a cleat status, they are forced to live lives status less. The author has very effectively with complete details exposed the decaying economic system of the country and has brought out the plight of people who need to leave their families and homes, and move to Britain only to find their lives miserable and uncalled for. These people hardly even get the minimum wages and do not get to even eat a meal enough to survive. The country’s policies and laws which are meant for the safety and the protection of the employees are the main cause for the employees to be ‘super – exploited’. The lies and the flowery picture that these individuals have been given of the United Kingdom has been clearly expressed by the author and the stories are heart breaking. The author has been able to bring out how these individuals are exploited not for their own selves but for people around them who move on to become successful and prosperous on the price of the devastating exploitation of the individuals. In conclusion, this book brings out the truth of life, the dignity and resilience that people face due to the terms like ‘illegal’ being tagged upon them. The author has effectively brought out that people tend to forget that we are all first human before legal or illegal and irrespective of the place the person is from, everyone has an equal right to live and to be happy. In this world where economics, finances and success is given primary importance, the author has brought out a fresher view where humans are given primary importance and other aspects are secondary. The author has been able to express views in a manner which not only lead the readers to go through the book but leave with a moral and a changed attitude. Here it would be the most apt to describe the book in the words of Marina Lewycka, “A book that really needed to be written. Utterly gripping, deeply moving” (Pai, 2008). In short, this book as the author explains is definitely meant for everyone who has used a packet of mixed salad leaves, or even used a microwave. The lives of hundreds of the migrants who come each month to London in search of a new life to overcome their debts and issues ends up in Chinatown, where the waitresses are troubles and harassed each day, men are forced to frantically fry in the kitchen and the only thing that most people have seen is the happy faces, of the managers who greet the tourists and customers into the restaurants to eat the food made by people suffering each and every minute of their lives just so that people around them, and their families get to live a comfortable life. The author has very fearlessly brought out the truth of the markets and the real scene of Britain and the impact that the country’s policy has on the lives of these individuals who simply want to live with little dignity and in a humane manner. In conclusion, an excellent, heartfelt, heart breaking book, which simply makes us think if all what we do each day is even worth it when other humans around us suffer each day! A book which leaves almost all readers thinking about the meaning of being human. Bibliography Pai, H.-H. (2008). Chinese Whispers: The True Story Behind Britains Hidden Army of Labour. Penguin . Read More