Chinese couple loses baby to Fundies...

Very sad story about a down on their luck Chinese couple that, when faced with the husband's losing his scholarship and the birth of their baby, they approached a Christian family in Memphis to temporarily watch their baby... however, as time went on, temporarily watching grew to temporary custody and a long legal case. It is very common in China for young couples to send their baby away to older relatives to watch so the couple can concentrate on work and the grandparents or aunt & uncle can bond with the baby as well. If that is not practical, the couple then usually has older friends or relatives watch the baby.

Yesterday, the judge in Memphis awarded custody to the Fundie family instead of the Chinese parents. Will this be another Ilian Gonzalez?

>>>ATLANTA, May 12 - A judge in Memphis has terminated the parental rights of a Chinese couple who say they were tricked into giving up their daughter, now 5, to foster parents when she was a baby.

Judge Robert Childers of Circuit Court said that the couple, Shaoqiang and Qin Luo He, had "failed to establish a meaningful relationship" with the girl, Anna Mae, because of "neglect and inattentiveness" and that the "physical environment of the Hes' home is unhealthy and unsafe." Judge Childers said they sought custody only so that they would not be deported.

"We are just shocked," Mr. He said. "We did not abandon our child."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/13/national/13custody.html?th

more complete info can be found at:
http://www.isthisamerica.com/

hope they appeal

when a person in authority does not recognize the customs of other
people. If this is common in China it stands to reason the couple thought it was here. Maybe Judge Childers is an "activist judge." It just keeps getting worse and worse here. Soon we will have no rights at all.

I've tried to follow the case on & off and the first judge was supposedly going to rule in favor of the Chinese family. However, the Bakers (the fundies) filed some sort of motion to switch judges. The second judge then had to recuse himself because of bias or conflict of interest and it went on to a 3rd judge, Childers.

This couple did not abandon their child. They TRIED to maintain contact, but the fundie couple wouldn't let them visit! Unbelievable.

As well as the agreement to grant "temporary" custody.

This is a terribly sad decision but I'm not going to make a knee-jerk reaction to say its incorrect.

I think you can get a pretty good summary on the www.isthisamerica.com website.

But, my impression is that the Bakers took advantage of the He's naivety about how things work in America. Like I said in my original post, it is very common for working parents to send their children off to be raised by relatives or friends.

My wife is originally from China and her parents back there in China keep asking us to send our 14 month old daughter there until next year when her parents can get another Visa to America. And, after our daughter was born last year, my mother-in-law dropped everything in China - her husband, other daughter and grandson - and came here to live with us for 11 months to help us out, even though she spoke very little English (thank goodness for the Phoenix Channel at least...) Every Chinese family that I know here is similar - the parents drop everything to come here to help with the baby and then want to bring the baby back to China so the parents can concentrate on work & making money.

... but not surprising at all.