China Sells Babies

"You want to know something interesting" Arturo Gemenez asked, shoveling a handful of peanuts in his mouth. I n0dded.
"There's fewer Chinese babies for adoption every year." He grabbed a swig of his Tsng Tao beer and dropped his other hand onto the tray in the stroller that held his new Chinese baby. Unsteady little fingers tried to fondle his watch. Arturo was on a roll and I merely raised my eyebrows to ask 'Why?' .
"Because, with China's race to embrace capitalism there's a rising middle class that can now afford to keep their babies. Even girls. And peasants are now allowed two children. China needs food."
The scene played out in the lobby bar of the Capital Hotel in Beijing. That morning I had watched a couple of dozen Caucasian couples wheel their Chinese baby girls to a waiting bus. Sensing a story, I asked the concierge, What gives? Then, I headed for the business center to scour the web for answers. I learned some interesting stuff.
Since 1992, American couples have adopted 50,000 Chinese babies, almost all of whom were girls. Then, I found the rules put out by the adoption arm of the Chinese government: The couples must be between 30 and 50 years of age. If either prospective parent is 29 or 51, it's no go. Further, eligibility hinges on mountains of paperwork, including revealing their tax returns and net worth statements.
Chinese social workers, then, visit their home plus conduct three in-office interviews. After roughly two years, and twenty thousand dollars later, the couple flies to southern China to receive it's baby.
Social workers hold classes for the new parents: 'Hold it often so it bonds to you.' 'Learn to change it's diapers and how to feed it.' 'Learn how to sleep with your baby.' And the list goes on.
After the initial introduction, the couple takes their baby to Beijing for the final ten days to two weeks of paperwork. If both the gpvernment and the couple agree, the adoption is final. And upon entering the US, the baby is granted citizenship.
"What did you name her, Arturo?"
"Breta Ying Gemenez,' he said proudly, tickling a finger into the chin of his, maybe, 5-6 month old baby girl.
"Why the Ying?"
"It's important for her to have a solid attachment to her cultural heritage." Then he added, "I gotta go. Good talking to you." And the proud new daddy wheeled his precious cargo away.
All over the hotel lobby, in bars, restaurants and shops, proud new parents strollered and hugged their new babies--some towing older Caucasian children with them, as well, some trailing one or two other Chinese children.
The children available are excellent health risks, for their health histories have been studied carefully. Another factor is that most are born of peasant women in the hinterlands where drugs and alcohol are scarce.
So why the prevalence of girls up for adoption over boys? My brain, stuck in a sterotypical time warp of centuries past, blamed a male-dominated Chinese culture which would lessen the value of a girl baby. Particularly in a country where the 'One Baby' law is not heresay or figment, but a living reality. I was wrong, of course.
The reason is simple. It's called economic self-preservation. My waitress taught me that.
When I returned to my table to await Michael joining me for dinner, she asked why I had talked to the Spanish gentleman. Arturo, by the way, had made a proud point of noting that more Spanish couples, per capita, adopt Chinese babies than do American couples, a rather surprising stat.
When she asked the question, I had the uneasy thought that she might be checking me out for some governmental reason. Wrong again. I related our conversation and asked her why girl babies were more adoptable.
"It is simple," she said. "Boy babies live with their parents and take care of them for life. When girls marry they move into their boy's homes, leaving their own parents without support in their old age."
In a country that has only had Social Security for seven years, the answer could not be more practical. But consider the tragedy of having to relinquish your precious baby girl to people who would cart her off to some strange land, and keep her there, forever. As a father of two daughters, the thought staggers.
In Beijing one must peform two tasks: Eat Peking duck, we did at the Peking Duck and, two, climb the Great Wall.
Pete, having seen me wimp out on the Ellis golf course hills, I know wondered if I would make it. Yeah. Me too.
But what neither Pete nor I knew was that climbing the Great Wall, is much like skiing. In any ski area, one finds bunny slopes, on up to back country black powder. Same with the Wall. I chose a green climb, maybe dotted green. Still it was a climb and, once on top, I awoke Dianne to claim my victory. I would have called Pete if I had his number.
Then I saw a guy in a wheelchair on the top. Incredulous, I asked how he got there. "There's a ramp, matey," the chap informed me.
I promised to tell about the admonition: Bring your own chopsticks to Beijing. China is straining to Go Green for the Olympics. Saving a few thousand trees that would end up as chopsticks is part of that effort. There's another thing: The much-vaunted air pollution of Beijing is puzzling. Neither Michael nor I had a single moment when we sensed air pollution. Of course, there are a million or so cars there. But other major cities that have hosted the Olympics have as many cars and no one howled. Red-bashing maybe?
I started this post with the title 'China sells babies!' for a reason. Here's why: After we understand how their adoption process works, what could be a more sane and caring way to place babies in new homes than how the Chinese governemnt demands?
If you are anything like me, you might share my Coolie mentality that had considered China to be a backwater, primitive country. Welcome to the Twenty-First Century, for nothing could be further from the truth.
Tomorrow: The second Great Wonder of the World.