TE20 Migrant Mosaics

Carmen-Francesca Banciu

The mood against the Russians began to spread more and more. Once the liberators had left the country, the murmurs became more and more distinct. That the Russians had taken away our agricultural products, mineral resources and oil. As long as oil was still there. Afterwards we reimported our own oil. Only slightly more expensive. Murmured the voices.

What the Chinese got from us, I didn’t know.

But I knew that our Chinese brothers made lots of toys. Very efficiently. By hand. So that the children of the comrades in Romaniawould have something toplaywith. And so thatmillions and millions of little Chinese people can get work and eat their daily rice with chopsticks. So that every Chinese person can get a new suit every year.

That is Communism, my father said.

My friend Melitta and I, we listened to him with our mouths agape in amazement.

Romania’s relations with China were good back then.

They were even excellent when the new General Secretary of the Communist Party, who soon proclaimed himself President, the proud man who brought us the New Spirit from China. The Cultural Revolution. A gift from Mao. Shortly after the Prague Spring. A gift among professional revolutionaries. With the trip to China fraternization with the Giant Brother began. From then on out every little Chinese man was the brother of every little Romanian. But of course some Chinese went away emptyhanded. 246