In today’s world, women play important roles in different areas in the society. For instance, Elizabeth II is still the Queen of the Great Britain; Hillary Diane Clinton served in president’s cabinet until 2013; Diane von Furstenberg built her own fashion kingdom in 1997, her signature wrap dress have reached a phenomenal success. Globalization has brought about an increasing crossing of cultural influences. There is not a single country or a single culture that remains in isolation. Even China has its door wide-open to cultural change, so do the roles of Chinese women.
Just like women in Western Countries, Chinese women also take an active role in different areas and some of them have powerful influence. Yang Lan, a Chinese media propeitor, journalist and talk show hostess, her One-on-One focuses talk made her show become one of the most highly regarded and well known in-depth talk shows in China; Wei Sun Christianson, the managing director and CEO of Morgan Stanley China, is known as the woman “who gets the deal done in China”; Wu Yi, who was vice premier of China, was known by her excellence trade negotiating skill and was named three times to Forbes’ most powerful women in the world list. Those women are just some representatives of successful women in China.
Nowadays, women position has changed so much in Chinese society; however, some Conservative disagrees, “should women have so much influence to the society? Shouldn’t they just stay at home and be housewives instead of interfering men’s business? Can they break through the traditional confine and think as wise as a man?” If such is the case, then every woman must assimilate; every woman should remain the old way of living rather than participate in the social work. However, I believe that such assimilation is not the way that most women want. Nor do I believe that women should only stay at home just because they can’t think wisely as a man. Instead, I argue that the change of women position is an inevitable outcome of social development, and independence is the key to success.
There is a reason for Chinese women assimilating into the American culture and to be independent. For the female immigrants, they need to assimilate stems from wanting to be part of society. However, the gender discrimination limited their working sphere, even for some educated, Westernized, English-speaking women like Jane Kwong Lee. In the early 19th, Women could only do some low wage work like sewing at home. However, women contributed to the family income and running the household, as well as provided cultural sustenance. Although they had to do hard work, they felt it was meaningful because it fulfill their filial obligations, and they were not that depended on their husband.
As the city grew, more and more labors were wanted.