OP-ED: CCP lesson in parental rights is why we need SB 272
MY NAME is Lily Tang Williams and I am a Chinese immigrant and an American citizen by choice. I am a mother of three publicly educated children and I strongly support SB 272, which was passed by the State Senate. I urge passage of this Parental Bill of Rights in Education.
Growing up in China during Mao’s regime, I never heard of the concept of parental rights. Then, and now, every child in China belongs to the State. After Mao closed schools during his Cultural Revolution he forced the urban youth to be re-educated in the countryside. My grandparents had no choice but to let go of their three young sons. My uncles were forced to be re-educated in the countryside hundreds of kilometers from home for 10 years. The Chinese government sacrificed the youth, separating kids from their families for a greater national cause.
Lily Tang Williams is chair of the N.H. Asian American Coalition and lives in Weare with her husband of 32 years. You can contact her at LilyTangWilliams.com.