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JeffreyZhang
ProfessorLynnM.Raymond
UWRT1103
15July2014
EscapefromCommunistChina
Forthisproject,Iwillbefocusingonmyfatherssideofthefamily.Inorderforafull
understandingofmyfamilyhistory,onemustbefamiliarwiththetheriseoftheCommunistPartyandthe
CulturalRevolution.Iwillthereforegiveabriefoverviewofthehistoryoftheseeventsbeforegoinginto
detailsaboutmyfamily.
TheChineseCommunistParty,orCCP,wasinspiredbytheexamplesetbytheSovietUnion.
Chinawasaveryunstableandfracturedcountryatthetime,stillbeingruledbywarlords.TheCCP
eventuallyjoinedtheChineseNationalistParty,orKMT,inordertoremoveallofthewarlordsfrom
poweranduniteChina.Althoughtheysucceeded,theKMTthenturnedontheCommunists,killing
manyofthem.TheCCPendeduphavingtoretreatintothecountryside.DuringWorldWarII,Japan
invadedChinaandtheCCPendedupforminganalliancewiththeKMTyetagain.Thisbolsteredthe
CCPsmembershipfromaround40,000toalmost1.2million.AfterWorldWarII,thecivilwarstarted
upagain.TheCCPendedupdefeatingtheKMT,whofledtowhatisnowTaiwan.ThePeoples
RepublicofChinawasthenfoundedonOctober10,1949.(Lauren)ThePRCtookcontrolofmost
businesses,forcingtheownerstoeitherworkaslaborersorfindanotherjob.
Thenextmajorevent,theCulturalRevolutionlastedfrom1966to1976.Schoolingwasset
asideasasecondprioritycomparedtomanuallabor.(ThePeople'sRepublicOfChina:III)Most
studentsandintellectualswereforcedtoputtheireducationonholdandgotoworkcamps.
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Nowthatthebackgroundinformationisoutoftheway,Icantalkaboutmyfamily.Mygreat
grandfather,ZhangShenghao,wasbornin1896.HishomewaslocatedinthecountrysideofGiaxing,
China.Lateroninlife,hemovedtotheindustrialcityofShanghai.There,hefoundajobasafinancial
accountantforafactory.Ashegainedexperience,hewasabletostartuphisownbusiness.In1949,he
losthisbusinessduetotheriseoftheCommunistParty.(Zhang)Hewasforcedtohandoverhisfactory
toaPartyofficialandthenbecomeanormalworker.
Mygrandfather,ZhangChengxi,wasbornin1922.Hewasthefirstinthefamilytogoto
college.HeattendedtheNationalCentralUniversity,majoringinmechanicalengineeringwithafocuson
thermodynamics.Afterhegraduated,heworkedatanairfieldasamaintenanceengineerforafew
years.HelaterlosthisjobwhentheCommunistPartytookover.In1950,hewasabletofinda
positionattheHarbinInstituteofTechnologyasaprofessorofmechanicalengineering,andcontinuedto
workthereuntilheretired.(Zhang)
Myfather,ZhangBingqi,wasbornin1958inHarbin,China.TheCulturalRevolutionwasa
terribleexperienceforthefamily.Theywereforcedtomoveoutofaspacious,threebedroomhouse
intoasharedhousethathousedmanyotherfamilies.Theywereonlygiventworooms.Thehouseonly
hadasinglewaterfaucetandoneoutdoortoilet.Thiswastobesharedamongmanyfamilies.(Zhang)
Myfatherwasonlyeightyearsoldatthistime,andyethislifehadturnedmiserable.TheCultural
Revolutiondumbeddowntheeducationhewasreceivingatschool.Thestudentsweremostlyfed
propagandainsteadofbeingtaughtaboutactualsubjects.Aftergraduatingfromhighschoolin1975,he
foundworkasatemporaryworkeratasandcastingfactory,cleaningsandparts.Hekeptthisjobfor
aboutsixmonths,thenfoundamorepermanentjobasaconstructionlaborer.
AftertheendoftheCulturalRevolution,myfatherfoundafulltimejobworkingasamechanic
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atatobaccofactory.In1978,hewasacceptedintotheHarbinInstituteofTechnology,majoringin
mechanicalengineeringwithaspecializationinclocksandwatches.Hegraduatedin1982andcontinued
tostudythereuntil1984,whenheearnedhisMastersDegree.Hethenworkedattheinstituteasa
teacheruntil1988.(Zhang)
Myfathermetmymother,LiuDongmei,in1983inHarbin,theymarriedin1984.Theyhadmy
brother,ZhangDayu,in1985.In1988,myfatherleftChinabyplanetogototheUnitedStatesinorder
topursueaphD.MymotherdidnotgowithhimbecausetheywerenotsureofwhattheUnitedStates
waslikeanddecidedtoletmyfatherexperienceitfirst.Shefollowedhalfayearlater,leavingmy
brotherinthecareofmygrandparents.Hecameoneyearlaterin1989,beingfouryearsoldatthe
time.(Zhang)MyfatherearnedhisphDin1994fromClemsonUniversity.TheymovedtoGastoniain
1994,settlingintotheChateauVillageapartmentcomplex.Iwasbornin1996atGastonMemorial
Hospital.DadtaughtforayearatGastonCollegeandthengotafulltimejobworkingasamechanical
engineerandproductmanageratRowleyCompany.In1997,wemovedintothethreestoryhousethat
westillliveintoday.
MyfamilyneverreallyhadanytroubletravellingtotheUnitedStates.Weallcameoverby
planewithnoincident.TheUSreallyisthelandofgoldenopportunity.Lifehereismuchmore
comfortablethanhowitwasinChina.Iamveryproudofmyparents,whohavemanagedtofindtheir
waytotheUnitedStatesandbuildanewlife.

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WorksCited
Mack,Lauren."TheChineseCommunistParty."About.comChinaNews.N.p.,n.d.Web.
17July2014.
"ThePeople'sRepublicOfChina:III."ChaosatMaryland.UniversityofMaryland,n.d.Web.
17July2014.
Zhang,Bingqi.PersonalInterview.12July2014.