My colleague Andersen Xia contacted at least three dozen people who’d publicly posted about their unfinished homes on Chinese social media. For the most part, he was met with silence.
A few times someone said they would love to talk, only to renege once they found out we were with a foreign media. Others said China’s problems were China’s to solve; there was no part for foreigners even if it was just to listen.
It took weeks of relentless searching and begging for three brave souls to come forward. They told heart-wrenching stories of dreams being dashed, hope turning into despair.
Such interviews are rare for a reason: Our profiles talked about how they feared retaliation, and about an intense sense of shame over their homebuying choices (some haven’t even told their families).
But these millennials told their stories with such grace and intimacy, and in their own words (an ability I don’t recall in the older generation who grew up with Cultural Revolution slogans), it’s a pity they don’t share more often with outsiders.
Wei Du
Senior Correspondent, Hong Kong Bureau
