To Survivors Of Mao's Great Leap Forward, The Pandemic Has Been A Cakewalk

San Francisco CA

30 November, 2021

7:01 PM

Description

By Yujie Zhou, Mission Local November 29, 2021 On a recent Friday, Bill Zhen joined the long line snaking down the street in front of the Alabama Food Hub – part of a gathering of elderly Asians. As the long wait dragged on, many chatted or played poker; up ahead others filled their bags with brightly colored vegetables, marinated chicken, bananas, bags of rice and gallons of milk. For Zhen and other aging Asian residents, the bounty of free food available in San Francisco's food lines during the pandemic is a lifeline – but also a reminder of their earlier lives when there was no safety net. For months, Mission Local has been reporting stories from the foodlines. These have been stories of struggle — but, as we began to talk to some of the older Asian residents, it became clear that, for many, any difficulties they have faced in the pandemic of 2020 pale in comparison to the famine and upheaval they experienced as youngsters during Mao's Great Leap Forward from 1958 to 1962. To read the full article, click here. Mission Local covers San Francisco from the vantage point of the Mission, a neighborhood with all of the promise and problems of a major city. You can support Mission Local here.