Table of Contents

Preface / 9
A Family of Rural Migrant Workers / 15
Narrator 1: Old Du, male, 53, from Ducheng Town of Huanggang City, Hubei Province
Job: bamboo chopstick maker
Work place: Guiyang, Guizhou Province
Narrator2: Du Jianguo, male, 22, first child of Old Du
Job: hair salon assistant
Work place: Wenzhou, Zheiiang Province
Narrator3: Du Jianhong, female, 19, adopted child of Old Du
Job: shoe factory worker
Workplace: Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province
Tale of a Couple: Twenty Years of Toil / 27
Narrator 1: Yang Shuangshuang, male, 46, from Huangpi District of Wuhan City, Hubd Province
Job: road builder - food stallholder - truck driver
Workplace: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region - Wuhan
Narrator 2: Wang Qianlan, female, 42, wife of Yang Shuangshuang
Job: waste recycler
Work place: Wenzhou, Wuhan
Two Years in Shenzhen / 37
Narrator: Zhang Xiaolan, female, 39, from Niefan Village of Jingmen City, Hubei
Province
Job: worker in a toy factory
Work place: Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
Making Better Neon Signs / 51
Narrator: Zhang Tieniu, male, 22, from Xiaoxi Yeying Village of Hengshui City, Hebei
Province
Job: welder - flyer distributor - neon sign maker
Work place: Hengshui, Hebei Province
I Have Never Been Homesick / 62
Narrator: Zhang Sheng, male, 20, from Qingxiu District of Nanning City, Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region
Job: hotel attendant - warehouse inspector - supervisor of leather bag processing
Work place: Dongguan, Guangdong Province
Can I Ever Go Back to My Studies? / 68
Narrator: Tao Fang, female, 20, from Qichun County of Huanggang City, Hubei
Province
Job: worker in a flax mill - waitress - worker in a clothing factory
Workplace: in town - Shanghai - Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
Working around China / 78
Narrator: Zhao Fangshuan, male, 23, from Zhaoxin Village in Hengshui City, Hebei
Province
Job: road roller driver - maintenance personnel - wedding cameraman - road worker
Work place: Beijing - Dongguan, Guangdong Province - Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province -
Shuozhou, Shanxi Province - Hengshui, Hebei Province
I Don't Belong to the South / 94
Narrator: Wu Xiaolong, male, 19, from Hongan County of Huanggang City, Hubei
Province
Job: auto mechanic - worker in a diamond factory - worker in a shoe factory
Workplace: Wuhan, Hubei Province - Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
To Be an Independent Woman / 107
Narrator: Xiao Xiaohong, female, 27, from Qijiang Town of Longhui County, Hunan
Province
Job: warehouse keeper - secretary - clerk
Workplace: Guangzhou - Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
From Decoration Worker to Boss / 123
Narrator: Xu Dehua, male, 35, from Hefan Village of Xishui County, Huanggang City,
Hubei Province
Job: decoration worker - boss of a decoration company
Workplace: Xi'an, Shaanxi Province
A Life Combining Work and Study / 134
Narrator: Zheng Bo, male, 35, from Wangren Town, Huangshi City, Hubei Province
Job: porter - manager - student of a night university
Work place: Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
My Grandpa / 147
Narrator: Chen Fei, male, 20, from Jidian Village in Xiaochang County, Hubei Province
Job of grandpa: waste collector
Workplace of grandpa: Wuhan, Hubei Province
Still a Migrant Worker in My 60s / 160
Narrator: Fu Yunlal, male, 63, from Liizhai County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous
Region
Job: construction worker - stevedore - shipment worker - vendor
Work place: Dongguan - Shenzhen - Zhuhai in Guangdong, Nanning - Liuzhou in
Guangxi
I Choose to Return to School / 168
Narrator: Wu Ting, female, 22, from Jianii County, Hubei Province
Job: packer
Work place: Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
Postscript / 180
Migrant Life: A Compendium of Photos / 182