![Two parents and a child stand in front of a wall with a sign written in Chinese characters](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5494e98/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4500x2999+0+1/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F30%2Fc22c4f1e41858913bfaa3c3c849b%2Fheader-2.png)
(Jianan Qian / For The Times)
- Share via
![I was born under China's one-child policy, part of the only generation in history to result from such sweeping restrictions.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5da46ab/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7800x9600+0+0/resize/2000x2462!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2e%2F11%2F4e9cc8ef4b35ab29ffc66377cf3d%2Fone-child-1-final.png)
![Chinese media described us as sure to be spoiled. In reality, I was lonely. I was home alone often with the tv for company.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5777c1d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7800x9600+0+0/resize/2000x2462!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7e%2Ff0%2F757c6bcc4dc095d5251dbaa97540%2Fone-child-2-final.png)
![In Shanghai, I was surrounded by only children and didn't question the policy. I couldn't imagine my family affording more.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/df762c1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7800x9600+0+0/resize/2000x2462!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F63%2F3e%2Fa3bb65af4b4f8d9b9a15917d6973%2Fone-child-3-final.png)
![In college I met roommates from rural areas who spoke about their siblings. I wondered what it would be like to have one.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f88c234/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7800x9600+0+0/resize/2000x2462!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6d%2F27%2F801f2fab4210af5c2efa255e9e42%2Fone-child-4-final.png)
![My mother pinned all her hopes on me, and I was afraid of disappointing her. Sometimes this became a heavy burden to bear.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bf4cb87/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7800x9600+0+0/resize/2000x2462!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F68%2F5c%2F5f0205ec4816aa6ad89472ebda19%2Fone-child-5-final.png)
![My mother seemed worried about getting pregnant despite her IUD. If she had a second child, she would have lost her job.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/947cfaf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7800x9600+0+0/resize/2000x2462!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F25%2Fa1%2F907982c84195a992cad6aef89f20%2Fone-child-6-final-fixed.png)
![Years later, when my mother had brain surgery, a friend asked if she'd ever had an abortion. My mother shook her head: no.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e02759a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7800x9600+0+0/resize/2000x2462!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fad%2Fce%2F0d70dc1f4f8685fc92a4d3810c99%2Fone-child-7-final-fixed.png)
![China changed its policy in 2015. But now, amid talk of too few births, I worry officials will interfere with choices again.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5a88657/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7800x9600+0+0/resize/2000x2462!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F96%2F99%2F0928a20c4f9aa482c2fedee73f31%2Fone-child-8-final.png)
![As for my one-child generation, the worst is perhaps yet to come as children are obligated to take care of elderly parents.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4e29a86/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8376x10342+0+0/resize/2000x2469!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F54%2Fb9%2Fc7a9ff664603a7f6d5a984b05570%2Fone-child-9-final-fixed.png)
Jianan Qian is a writer and illustrator in Los Angeles.
More to Read
A cure for the common opinion
Get thought-provoking perspectives with our weekly newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.