China's Big Problem--Pretending to Be Communist

Statistician and activist Nancy Lo, Ph.D. was born in southwestern China, but escaped to Taiwan at age six. (See post one.) For most of her early days in Taiwan, she was sheltered with other Air Force families, only meeting the local children when she went to Middle/High School. (See post two.) Despite this foreign atmosphere, where she didn't always understand the language, she succeeded in going to the top university in Taipei.  And, while social pressure shunted her away from pure math, it also pushed her to attend Oregon State University (See post three).   She was an early pioneer of cross-cultural relationships in Oregon, marrying her classmate John Ferguson in 1967. She graduated with a Ph.D. in statistics. (see post four). 

Over the years, Nancy has been back to China quite often.  She joined a United Nations project in Shandong in 1987. She wrote to her cousin in China, suggesting they meet in Beijing. He wrote back and said, “You need to write a letter to my principal for permission.”

At the time Chinese needed a permit to travel…even if it was just to the next province.

Since then, citing specifically the skyscrapers and bullet trains which travel at 187 miles/hour, she said, “the change in China is incredible, I tell you. It’s just incredible.”

Like many, Nancy says the biggest issue facing China is air pollution. On top of this, she is troubled by, “the cloak of Communism. They are more Capitalist, in general. It would be real nice--I don’t know if it’s possible—if one day they could accept some political parties to make it a really Democratic country.”

(To be continued. Next: American Immigration--All Farmers, No Scientists.)