Handover of Hong Kong

 Handover of Hong Kong

       A small change will make people’s lives have a big difference. The handover of Hong Kong from British to China changed my family’s life, and it continues to impact us to this day. In 1997, Hong Kong’s management was handed over to China, and people who lived on both sides of the strait had a huge change. Mainland and people in Hong Kong could shuttle and forth back freely. Therefore, the economy, jobs, and education attracted people on the Mainland to immigrate to Hong Kong. For me, I had a better chance to choose my life. For my family, my grandfather could meet his family members again after forty years, my mother could get a good job, and my younger siblings could be able to receive education in Hong Kong.

       After 1997, people who lived on both sides of the strait could meet their family members again. My grandfather could meet his brothers and sisters who lived in Hong Kong. Before 1997, the management of Hong Kong was still in the hands of England, and the economy and jobs were better than Mainland China. My grandfather’s family lived in a poor village. They lived a very hard life, and were often hungry because of poverty. Due to those reasons, his family decided to find a way to change their lives. At that time, the poor Mainland people didn’t have a legal way to go to Hong Kong, but some smuggled into Hong Kong. If they succeeded in smuggling, they may never go back home to the Mainland. My grandfather did not want to leave his hometown, so he did not go with his brothers and sisters. He chose to stay, so he never saw his siblings again. However, when Hong Kong went back to China, Hong Kong opened, the cross strait border between Hong Kong and the mainland of China was opened, and people could travel freely. Many families finally could reunite.

       In addition, Mainland people could find better job in Hong Kong. My mother worked in Hong Kong when I was in first grade. Hong Kong companies needed a lot of cheap labor, and the economy was growing. Moreover, my mother wanted to find a job in Hong Kong. Her hometown was Taishan, and many Taishan people loved to go to Hong Kong or abroad to find jobs. Her aunt also lived there, and she invited my mother to go to Hong Kong to find a job. My mother was so interested, so she decided to try. In fact, She got a sewing job, and she sent the money she earned back home. As a result, she has been working in Hong Kong for almost five years. I often go to visit her, and she would bring me to Disneyland when I went to visit her. Therefore, I like to travel to Hong Kong, and I even thought about living in there. If I was born before 1997, I would never think about that option.

       Moreover, my younger siblings were able to go to school and receive a better education in Hong Kong. Consequently, they studied there until my family moved to Chicago. The education system in Hong Kong was better than Mainland China. When England still occupied Hong Kong, the schools were all foreign style, and they still follow the British system today. The foreign model of education was attractive to the Mainland Chinese parents, so they sent their kids to Hong Kong to study. Furthermore, people who study in Hong Kong will get more offers to study from international universities. Many international schools have branch campuses in Hong Kong, and the teaching methods in Hong Kong allow students to easily go to abroad college. Overseas universities are more likely to accept Hong Kong students than Mainland students. For example, the University of Chicago has a campus in Hong Kong. If the students are good enough, they can apply to study to Chicago through the school. On the other hand, if my family didn’t move to Chicago, my parents would plan to send my younger brother and sister to abroad to study because they already prepared.

       To conclude, this big event brought a lot of benefits to many Mainland families. Many families could reunite, people can find better job opportunities, and students can have great education. These are the reasons why the handover of Hong Kong changed many people’s lives. I think that my grandfather’s family members maybe have the same opinion as mine, so they ventured away from their hometown to find a new life. I am so grateful for this policy, and it has brought me more opportunities.