An American's perspective on social mobility and the Chinese Dream

Recently, a friend of mine, a young Chinese woman with an already impressive career, and I were discussing how we came to where we are in life. I told her my story: born and raised in the United States, and how I came to be where I am now. But when she narrated her story, it started me thinking.

She was raised in a small town in China, by parents of minimal means. Knowing from an early age that she would need to study and work very hard to make it out of her social status, she did exactly that. Her daily routine comprised going to school, helping her parents, and studying. Thanks to her hard work, she was well prepared to take the test that would define her entire adult life, gaokao.

Gaokao is a standardized test created in 1952 that nearly every student in China takes in their senior year of high school. To Americans it may seem a lot like SAT, and in theory it is. In practice, it couldn't be more different, because gaokao is the single most important test in most Chinese people's lives. Every child in China learns this from an early age, but not everyone focuses so determinedly as my friend, who did so well in gaokao that she was accepted by one of the best universities in China. As food and housing are heavily subsidized, and tuition is extremely low, she was able to finish college with little financial concern. Given her focus on studies she graduated with flying colors, and landed a lucrative job, greatly improving her own, and her family's prospects.

As she and I spoke of the unlikely journey she had taken in her life, I was taken by how much this reflected the American Dream: to work hard and lift yourself up to a better situation than you were born into. She responded: this is our Chinese Dream, too. Sometimes we focus so much on our differences that we can't see how similar we actually are. The American Dream and the Chinese Dream, though not the same, have their roots in the same word: possibility. The possibility that with hard work, you can change your future. In other words, both the American Dream and the Chinese Dream are built on the idea of social mobility. But, if our dreams are similar, why do we approach them with such different attitudes and seemingly incompatible methodologies? I believe the answer lies in our histories.

As an American, I was raised to believe I could be anything I wanted to be. I was raised to believe that my voice mattered, my identity mattered, that I could do anything I set my mind to. These ideals have their roots in Western philosophy and the democratic ideal. That idea, and the system we have built around it, has allowed the United States to achieve amazing things. The US became the No 1 economy in the world, and a beacon of hope for people around the world. The American Dream wasn't just a slogan, it was real. It has brought millions of immigrants to our shores looking for a better life.

So how do people in China, without a Western style democratic system, achieve the Chinese Dream? What ideals and beliefs allow them to dream of social mobility the way Americans do? I believe their ideals are also rooted in the past.

The imperial exam was instituted during the Han Dynasty (206 BC－AD 220) and was standardized during the Tang Dynasty (618-907): one standard test for anyone wishing to become part of the bureaucracy no matter their social status, wealth, or profession. Since China has historically been an agricultural society, the population until the beginning of last century mainly comprised farmers, artisans, and government officials. Therefore, the policy of giving an opportunity to a poor farmer to take a test, join the bureaucracy, and change his social status was groundbreaking.

True, our world, our systems, our ways of life, our understanding have all changed dramatically over the last century and a half, but modernity does not mean the death of traditions, culture and self-identity. With every iteration of societal change we take with us the seeds from past generations.

In the US we have taken our heritage of self-determinism, free thinking, and entrepreneurship and molded our own dreams around those principles. When I look at the thinkers and influencers in US society I get the clear message that I should think for myself, chase my passions, and work hard to achieve my goals. My society tells me that if I do those things, I too can achieve the American Dream.

When I look at China, I see people being told a different story. My friends in China are being told to focus on studying, to work hard for their families and society, and to put their nose down and climb their way to the top. If they do this, society says, they can achieve the Chinese Dream.

I believe this cultural difference derives from the different philosophies and systems our ancestors came from. The US was founded quite literally by adventurers and entrepreneurs. Our entire history is made of stories of personal glory, self-determination, and unrelenting optimism in the face of adversity. Chinese history is full of stories about filial children, studious scholars, and loyal patriots. No wonder our culture and self-concept differ, sometimes making it hard to see anything common between us.

So why then, in these two starkly different countries, do we share a similar dream? I believe the answer is simpler than we make it seem, because we all have the same human nature, and it is human nature to dream of a better life. It is human nature to want to provide for yourself and your family.

The US and China do have something very important in common. Throughout history one factor more than any other has determined the success or failure of a dynasty or government: the contentedness of the people. When an individual believes he or she can improve his/her life within the existing system, that system will survive and prosper. When people lose that belief, when they doubt they will ever be able to improve their lives, the system will collapse.

The US and China are the two strongest countries on Earth precisely because of their people's beliefs in the systems they have. We can argue about which system is better, but can agree on at least one issue, that despite neither being perfect, both are working, and both are steeped in their own history and philosophy.

The author is an independent consultant in the United States. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.