Since the 1980s, more than 800 million Chinese individuals have transitioned out of poverty, witnessing a substantial rise in the middle class, which now encompasses around 400 million people. An exodus from rural villages to urban centers, along with millions first entering college, defined this transformative era. However, as the country's economic momentum wanes, stagnant wages and dwindling job opportunities threaten to unravel the aspirational dream that once motivated the nation.
Boris Gao is emblematic of this disillusionment. After experiencing his parents’ layoffs from state-owned enterprises, his father's taxi driving and his mother's sacrifice to stay home deepened the family's financial struggles. Their efforts to save were palpable, as exemplified by his mother canceling text message services, leading to missed school assignments for Boris.
Despite these challenges, Boris persevered. He graduated in 2016, hustled to defer his dreams, and managed to attend a prestigious graduate program in Hong Kong. Yet, his job search since 2024 has been fraught with difficulties. He has encountered exploitative demands, such as unpaid trial work periods, and faced rejection based solely on the perception of his background, being deemed "politically unreliable" for studying outside of mainland China.
One incident during an interview starkly illustrated the bias against those from lower social standings, where an interviewer’s comment on his parents' professions cost him yet another opportunity. “Your family has low social status,” he recalled being told, reinforcing the pervasive belief that struggle equates to inadequacy. Boris remarked, “To them, perseverance is a defect. If you have to struggle, it means you’re not good enough.”
As the ideals of the Chinese Dream slip through the fingers of many, the narrative of success and opportunity begins to distort under the weight of economic realities, leaving a generation questioning their path forward.
