Not too many stories satisfy both my interest in ancient Chinese philosophy and my allegiance to the New York Yankees.  But this piece in today’s NYT, about the formidable Yankee pitcher, Chien-Ming Wang (or Wang Chien-Ming for purists), fits the bill.

     Wang is from Taiwan and has imbibed some elements of Chinese culture.  It seems he was adopted but he did not discover this until he had to file papers for a baseball competition:

“We were going out to a competition and needed our personal
documents,” Wang said, explaining that meant the names, relationships
and birthdates of family members. “When I got my documents, I learned
who my biological parents were. My parents didn’t tell me.”

Wang
found out then that his biological father was the man he knew as his
uncle, Ping-Yin Wang. Wang’s parents had no children of their own and
offered to raise him. They later had a daughter, Hsiu-Wen Wang, who is
two years younger.

    Such arrangements are not uncommon at all.  What is not mentioned in the article, but which I bet is the case, is that his biological father most likely already had at least one son, and heir, and felt secure that his family name would be carried on in the next generation, as per Confucian practice.  Gaining an heir by adoption, as Wang’s sociological parents did, is perfectly respectable and acceptable in Chinese culture.

     And it seems like the parents who raised him did a good job; Wang has a clear sense of filial responsibility:

“I felt I had to work even harder in order to help two sets of
parents,” he said, adding later, “Most of my money I send home to let
my parents manage. The rest I use for living expenses in America.”

In
the off-season, Wang and his wife, Chia-Ling, live with the parents who
raised him. He loves his mother’s cooking, he said, but the overriding
reason is cultural.

His parents, who manufactured metal products
like spoons and lunch boxes, have been retired for about 10 years. In
Taiwan, Wang explained, it is customary for sons to stay at home and
take care of their parents. Long after learning his personal
background, Wang remains very close with the parents who raised him.

“In Taiwan there’s a saying: ‘Raising a child is more important than giving birth. Raising a child is greater,’ ” Wang said.

 I haven’t heard that saying before.  Does anyone know it in Chinese?  Whatever the case, I think the sentiment is correct: having a child is much more than giving birth.  The real work comes after, for years and years.

    So, three cheers for the filial Yankee, Wang Chien-Ming!