— 17.2% of GDP Spent on Healthcare, Yet Tens of Millions Remain Uninsured In 2024, healthcare spending in the United States once again reached a staggering 17.2% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the highest in the world. This means that the U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other country on earth. Yet paradoxically,Continue reading “Highest Health Spending in the World, Yet No Universal Coverage in America”
Category Archives: 政策与制度 / Policy & Institutions
拿着绿卡，看不起病
——一位华人移民父亲对《大而美法案》的质问 七月四日这天，我像往年一样陪家人在自家小阳台上看着远处的烟火。孩子挥着国旗，小声唱着“God Bless America”，而我却心事重重。就在前一天，国会通过了《One Big and Beautiful Bill Act》（大而美法案），总统也在独立日当天正式签署。 我本以为，这是一份关于“自由”和“繁荣”的法案。但读完其中有关Medicaid（联邦医疗补助）的内容，我却深深意识到：对像我这样的绿卡移民来说，这个国家越来越不像一个欢迎我们的家园，而更像一个设下门槛的选拔场。
Holding a Green Card, But Shut Out of Care
— A Chinese Immigrant Father’s Reflection on the ‘One Big and Beautiful Bill Act’ On July 4th, as fireworks lit up the sky and my child waved a small flag, I found myself unable to celebrate. Just the day before, Congress passed the “One Big and Beautiful Bill Act”(OBBBA), and the President signed it intoContinue reading “Holding a Green Card, But Shut Out of Care”
谁才是真正的赢家？
—— 从中产阶级的视角看《大而美法案》 2025年7月3日，美国国会以218票对214票的微弱优势通过了《One Big Beautiful Bill Act》（简称 OBBBA，中文可称“大而美法案”）。次日，也就是7月4日独立日，总统正式签署了这项法案，为节日庆典添上一抹强烈的政治色彩。 媒体聚焦于这项宏大法案中涵盖的多项政策组合：延续减税、削减社会福利、削减绿色能源补贴、并大幅增加移民执法开支。支持者称其“充满雄心”、“促进经济增长”、“是一场财政纪律的胜利”。 但从像我这样的普通中产阶级视角来看——既非富豪，也非贫困者——这项法案并不令人振奋。它像是一场无声的再分配，把更多的负担转嫁给我们，而把更多的好处留给最顶端的人群。 我们挣得“太多”以致无法获得补助，却又挣得“太少”不足以安心生活。我们认真工作、如实纳税，常常还得照顾老人、抚养孩子，却总被要求“再多承担一点”。而最终真正受益的，却是早已不为生计发愁的少数人。
Who Are the Real Winners?
— A Middle-Class Perspective on the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” On July 3, 2025, the U.S. Congress narrowly passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) by a vote of 218 to 214. The very next day—Independence Day, July 4th—the President signed the bill into law, turning a symbolic holiday moment into a politicalContinue reading “Who Are the Real Winners?”
在国庆烟火之外：我们在美华人的此刻心声
当烟火即将划破夜空，当红白蓝的旗帜在街头巷尾飘扬，当人们准备庆祝美国建国的这一天——我们，也身在其中。 但此刻，我们的心，未必在庆典之中。 作为在美华人，站在这个国庆节前夕，我们感受到的，不仅是节日的热闹与自豪，还有沉甸甸的现实：一个国家理想与现实之间的巨大落差，一场我们常常被排除在外的民主叙事。
Beyond the Fireworks: A Reflection from Chinese Americans on Independence Day
As fireworks prepare to light up the night sky, as red, white, and blue flags flutter across the streets, and as people gather to celebrate the founding of the United States—we are here, too. But at this moment, our hearts may not be entirely in the celebration. As Chinese Americans, standing on the eve ofContinue reading “Beyond the Fireworks: A Reflection from Chinese Americans on Independence Day”
我们家的国庆：在烧烤与八宝粽之间找身份
每年七月四日，家里的后院总会飘出一股奇特的混合味——炭火上的牛排香和蒸锅里八宝粽的糯米甜。这是我们家的国庆节，一半是汉堡和爆米花，一半是咸蛋黄和莲蓉馅。 小时候我常常困惑：为什么别人的国庆节是在湖边看烟火，而我们家的国庆，总像是在过另一个“节”？而长大后，我开始理解，这种混搭的节日，其实是一种我们自己的存在方式。
Our Fourth of July: Finding Identity Between BBQ and Sticky Rice Dumplings
Every July 4th, a strange blend of aromas drifts from our backyard—grilled steak sizzling over charcoal, and the sweet scent of sticky rice dumplings steaming on the stove. This is how my family celebrates Independence Day: half burgers and popcorn, half salted egg yolk and lotus seed paste. As a child, I often wondered whyContinue reading “Our Fourth of July: Finding Identity Between BBQ and Sticky Rice Dumplings”
孩子的国旗，父母的沉默
女儿在超市门口接过一面工作人员发的小国旗，是在国庆节前的那个周末。“他们说这个可以插在花园里，也可以带去野餐。”她一路握着那面塑料小旗回到家，像是捧着一件仪式感十足的宝贝。回到家后，她把旗子插在客厅的花瓶里，插得很正，像在完成一件郑重的工作。 我点点头，没有多说什么。母亲从厨房探出头，看了一眼，又缩回去。锅里煮着老火汤，咕噜咕噜地响着。我们谁都没有回应这面旗。
