Bigger baby crisis

[Dave G.]

I just talked to Jing Mei. She told me she was stopped on the street by some old woman who used to work for the Chinese gov. She was asked for the special paper. She said the baby will be born in the US so she does not need it (could be the truth, could be a lie....we don't know because of GZ). She's understandably worried. She's convinced NVC did not mail the papers to GZ despite everything I read and have been told. I try to explain it but she doesn't believe me.

 

The amazing, sad thing is that the Chinese government will terminate anytime without the paper. I'm heart broken about this.

 

So Rob....I think the advice given is good. Get over there now if possible. Register the marriage and get the paper. Call the American Services office in Chengdu and ask for the requirements to register the baby.

 

This is very very disturbing.

[robhon]

So Rob....I think the advice given is good.  Get over there now if possible.  Register the marriage and get the paper. Call the American Services office in Chengdu and ask for the requirements to register the baby.

 

 

I want to make sure this is clear in this thread. We are already married.

 

Last year, Nov.

[Mick]

Damn....can't get back to sleep now.  One last thing.  Get the man's name, rank, and serial number.  Pass that on to our embassies.  Make the guy lose face.

Until they are married he will not be losing any face. He will be doing his job admirably by preventing dilution of the race. Feelings run very strong in China against unmarried women who consort with foreigners. Even my wife gets insults directed at her occassionally about being with a foreign devil. Mick, I imagine you can confirm that it happened with your wife also.

You are so right Owen. It happened all too often.

 

Rob, I think the fact that you guys are already married really weighs in your favor. Also, I agree with Don that you also need to try Citizens Services. Seems to me that this sort of thing would also fall under their umbrella as well. Best of luck my friend and please keep us posted.

[owenkrout]

One thing that you should have already done since you are married is to register her as your wife with the US Consulate that covers her official residence. If you haven't, then you need to do that immediately.

 

Simply moving away from the trouble-maker will take care of the immediate problem since the different government units are not very good at communicating with each other. Something that the central government is trying to take steps to correct.

 

If the government still harrasses her then you still need to China and go to the appropriate Consulate. Once there, you can go inside by just showing your passport. Once inside, explain the situation and talk them into at least intervening with the Chinese government. They can even issue a special pass that says she is summoned for an interview. (Shenyang issued one once for my wife so they could discuss some of the paperwork problems directly with her) By Chinese law, as the wife of a US citizen she is supposed to have the same rights and priviliges that her husband has while in China. Unfortunately, sometimes even actual American citizens of Chinese descent are not granted the same privilages as "Western looking" Americans.

 

If you get any apathy or resistance from the Consulate, go to your Senator's local office personally and complain loudly about the government not taking the necessary action to save the life of your child, who would be an American citizen.

[robhon]

Thank you, Sir Owen, Knight of the Northern Realm, Champion of Justice and Slayer of Ignorance. Your information is every bit as great as your title!

 

Myself, this morning, I am about ready to slay one legal assistant. This stupid bozo's response to my situation was this, "Well, that's kind of outside our realm of expertise. I mean, how can you prove a negative (that I have no other children)."

 

I tongue lashed the boy and told him that I hadn't paid them several thousand dollars to be a service to file papers. I can pay $400 for that. I paid for a lawyer and they'd better start coming up with some options for me in this matter. If they don't get back to me today I'm going to be suing one immigration law firm.

 

And this, after having defended the use of a lawyer on this site on several occasions. I mean, this situation is exactly the reason I hired a lawyer!!

 

Countdown to firing the lawyer is T-minus 7 hrs. I'm giving her a 6pm deadline.

[Charlotte]

Some government person called her parents house saying that Youyue needs to provide documentation that the father of the child has no other children.  This person said if she can't provide this information she will lose the baby (as in, terminate the pregnancy).

 

Robhon,

I understand your frustration, but please don't get too much worked up on this. I spent most of my lifetime in China dealing with those people.

Here is what I think you can do:

 

First of all: just to shut them up, it is easier to get a statement from your employer (human Resource) stating that you do or don't have any children and have it translated and notirized. This can be done in China too, all higher education institutions have translating services.

 

If you can't provide some documents ( having children here already), still no big deal. They can't force her to abort the baby because it is dangerous to both the baby and the mother at this stage. The law protects her right if not the baby. For her to avoid the stress before the delivery, she should stay away from those local officials. Whether she can bring the baby to the US is up to the US immigration policy, not the Chinese local government. The best way to deal with them is not to reason with them, but to stay as far away as possible. If she is not working and she does not need any more documents from any local government offices, there is NOTHING on earth they can do to hurt her in any way. Those are local government officers -- they sometimes tend to go extra miles to execute rules and regulations that was not the intent of the central government. They can get away with it if people don't fight back. I don't think you should spend too much time on this "one-child" thing. I would rather be spending time on pushing the immigration process.

Just my 2 cents, Good luck to you all!

[robhon]

I gotta say, it's just a little difficult to be calm when someone has made a direct threat against the life of my child.

 

Once you see the sparkle in your wife's eyes and you hear that little baby's heartbeat chugging away... the world changes.

[Guest R2D2]

I gotta say, it's just a little difficult to be calm when someone has made a direct threat against the life of my child.

 

Once you see the sparkle in your wife's eyes and you hear that little baby's heartbeat chugging away... the world changes.

Listen to Charlotte, Rob. Get your wife to her Aunt's home and out of town. At that point, go with your wife to the consulate there or GZ and tell them what is happening and the urgency. In the meantime send FAX and e-mails to GZ and as Owen stated, go to your Senator's office here. If there is need for an expidited visa, it is now. Good luck. You will be in my prayers....

[robhon]

Thanks R2... Thanks everyone...

 

She's on her way to Chongqing Saturday. I have faxes and emails into GZ and the Chengdu consulate (Chongqing doesn't seem to have one). I'm going to call Chengdu when they open in a few hours. I have messages into Rep Barbara Lee's office and Sen Dianne Feinstein's office. I've left another message with a friend who's been helping to find out what's going on inside the DOS with our case... And my lawyer BETTER be taking some action today.

 

I'm hoping just getting her out of Hechuan will take care of the problem, as people have suggested. My wife even seemed to think this would be the solution. But I also don't want to let my guard down.

[Mick]

Again, please keep us posted Rob. As many have stated, there is no reason to panic. Nonetheless, this thing worries me a bit.

[Robert S.]

I don't understand why if she married a foreigner she did not get an authorization paper for another baby the way my wife did.

[robhon]

Okay, here's my report....

 

Didn't hear back from Barbara Lee, nor from Dianne Feinstein, nor from the freind who's supposed to be helping find out about DOS stuff. My lawyer never called back (and is WAY fired).

 

But, thank you donahso, I managed to get in contact with someone in the American Citizen Services Unit of the Chengdu consulate. It took about twelve phone calls to get through and then the connection was terrible. But I did get through. The woman was VERY helpful. She said, "If the government person calls again ask him exactly what kind of document he needs and we will prepare it for you. But we need to know what to prepare." She said my wife can call and give them the information.

 

I also asked what I need to do after the baby is born. She asked if I was a US citizen, I said yes. She said, "Oh, it's easy then! Just go to any US consulate with the baby. Both parents must be present and you need to each have a passport and you need the baby's birth certificate." She said they'd give the baby a passport right then and there. I asked if there was a time period within which I need to do this. She said, no, it's completely open-ended. I said, "So if I wait 4 or 5 weeks until the baby is a little bigger, that's okay?" She said, yes. (And why was it no one at my attorney's office was able to tell me this???)

 

Then I called my wife again. Seems in the meantime her father's been busy behind the scenes. He's a contractor in Hechuan and, as my wife said, "He went to talk to some of his friends." I know he knows a lot of people there. (There were certainly a lot of people at our wedding, that's for sure!) According to my wife, he took care of everything and there shouldn't be any problem. I asked my wife if he had to pay any money to anyone. She said, "Oh, I don't know!" I said if he did I'll pay him back. She said not to worry.

 

I still feel a little shell-shocked over this whole event. It's kind of like I've made it half way through the mine field. Just need to get through the rest of it. Not until the baby is born I will feel completely safe and happy.

 

Next, I'm sending a fax to my attorney to fire her and request that she itemize the work their office has performed, charge me for that, and return to me the remaining funds.

[robhon]

I don't understand why if she married a foreigner she did not get an authorization paper for another baby the way my wife did.

I think because there are no other children. She's never had a child nor have I. This just came out of the blue, some nutty guy looking for a document saying I have no other children. ...I mean, how on earth can you prove that something doesn't exist?

[Guest R2D2]

Good to hear the good news, Rob. We were ready to bring on the tanks and Bradleys. Maybe an A7 or two. This is good news and I will now be able to sleep tonight. Seems our prayers were answered by the big fella up there. Make sure that your wife goes to her Aunt's home to play it safe and have the baby there. God Bless....

[robhon]

Thanks R2... In the past couple of days I've come to appreciate the full value of this site. The support provided here has been amazing. I'm very touched my your interest in creating a group letter/fax campaign. I thought to myself, "Ah, they pinned me!"

 

For now we're resigned to having the baby in CQ. That's okay. Her whole family will be there to see the new baby and help take care of my wife after the birth. I know it's not going to be as easy a birth as if she'd been in the US. I'll help her as much as I can through that.

 

Again, thanks to everyone for your help. I'm headed back to China in a couple of weeks. I'll be posting a big ol' baby announcement here on CFL not too long after that.