Explorer Season 1 Episode 70 China's Lost Girls
- June 20, 2004
Explorer season 1 episode 70, titled "China's Lost Girls," takes viewers on a journey to uncover the heartbreaking reality of China's one-child policy. The episode follows the story of a couple in the United States who decide to adopt a Chinese baby girl, and their journey to China to meet their new daughter.
China's one-child policy, implemented in 1979, was designed to curb the country's population growth. The policy restricted families to having only one child, and any additional children were outlawed. This policy led to the systematic abandonment and killing of baby girls, as Chinese culture traditionally values male children over females.
In "China's Lost Girls," viewers witness the emotional toll that the one-child policy has taken on families. The documentary features interviews with Chinese couples who have been forced to leave their newborn daughters at government-run orphanages, in the hopes that they may be adopted by families in other countries.
The episode also details the harrowing journey that abandoned baby girls must endure. With many being smuggled out of China and sold on the black market, it illuminates the disturbing reality of the human trafficking that has arisen as a result of the policy.
As the adoptive family embarks on their journey to China, the episode highlights the cultural divide between China and the United States. The adoptive parents struggle to understand why Chinese families would abandon their daughters, while also grappling with their own country's role in enforcing the one-child policy by imposing sanctions on China.
Overall, "China's Lost Girls" offers a heartbreaking look at the consequences of a government policy that has torn families apart and left many without the love and care that every child deserves. It raises important questions about the ethics of such policies and the role of the international community in addressing them.