Wajahat Ali: The case for having kids
Wajahat Ali: Argumen untuk punya anak
New York Times contributing op-ed writer, recovering attorney, playwright and exhausted dad Wajahat Ali celebrates the diverse narratives of the United States and advocates for a more inclusive cultural landscape. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
by two mini dictators,
oleh dua diktator mini,
while wearing their Huggies diapers.
tangan besi sambil berpopok Huggies.
drowning in small people lately,
kewalahan dengan orang-orang ini,
to a particular headline.
judul berita tertentu.
in developed countries,
di negara maju,
to China to Japan,
hingga Cina ke Jepang,
a consistent decline in birth rates.
pada tingkat kelahiran.
berkurang separuhnya.
as a reason for never having babies.
sebagai alasan tidak ingin punya anak.
right now, saying,
yang duduk di sana berkata,
and Middle Eastern countries,
dan Timur Tengah,
who still need parents,
membutuhkan orang tua,
to go around for everyone,
dipenuhi untuk semua orang,
that is destroying this planet.
yang menghancurkan planet ini.
terlepas dari semua kekacauan ini,
punya anak.
fight for the earth and humanity,
untuk bumi dan kemanusiaan,
personal for a second,
might be skeptical about having babies.
merasa skeptis tentang punya anak.
before we had kids.
sebelum punya anak.
dan putus asa.
I thought I'd be driving as an adult.
dikemudikan sebagai orang dewasa.
now there is convenient space,
sekarang ada ruang yang nyaman,
of the very dire threats
ancaman yang sangat mengerikan
that choosing to have babies
untuk punya anak
sangat mendalam.
the flip side of the coin.
dari sisi lain.
moving forward.
Health Organization,
2.1 children per woman today
2,1 anak per wanita
to replace the previous generation.
menggantikan generasi sebelumnya.
akan jadi masalah dalam 100 tahun --
was going to be a problem in 100 years --
dips below 2.1?
turun dari 2,1?
dan hidup lebih lama,
younger population,
yang lebih muda,
to rising labor shortages
China, Japan, Germany.
Cina, Jepang, Jerman.
means less tax revenue.
pendapatan pajak kecil.
means less money and resources
uang dan sumber daya
that all of us are going to depend upon.
untuk kita bergantung.
and health care.
dan layanan kesehatan.
is indeed connected.
memang terhubung.
in the first place?
untuk menyingkat waktu.
and "Empire Strikes Back" -- 1980.
"Empire Strikes Back" -- 1980
the one-child policy,
menjalankan kebijakan satu anak,
to having just one kid
hanya punya satu anak
Chinese propaganda, lovely.
kuno Cina ini, cantik.
its one-child policy in 2015,
satu anak di 2015,
drivers of growth -- people.
pertumbuhan terbesarnya -- manusia
is actually going to peak in 2029,
di tahun 2029,
"penurunan tidak terbendung."
is so freaked out right now
to have children for the country.
anak demi negara.
and hop over to Japan,
Honda Odyssey.
adult diapers than infant ones.
popok dewasa dibandingkan popok bayi.
has fallen for the 37th straight year.
37 tahun berturut-turut.
its population numbers
angka populasinya
the safety-net programs.
program jaring pengaman.
have offered couples money to have babies,
pada pasangan untuk punya anak,
with each additional child being born.
tambahan anak yang lahir.
in this town called Ama.
pada 2014 di kota Ama.
from about 1.66 kids per woman to 1.8.
sekitar 1,66 anak per wanita menjadi 1,8.
di seluruh Jepang.
ruling party tried a new tack.
di Jepang mencoba taktik baru.
tidak mau punya anak."
a rousing aphrodisiac.
peningkat gairah seksual.
I love to eat but cannot pronounce.
tapi tidak bisa melafalkannya.
1.7 kids per woman,
1,7 anak per wanita,
where it hovers around 1.45.
yang berkisar di 1,45.
to try to incentivize people to have kids.
memberi insentif agar punya anak.
have four or more kids
empat anak atau lebih
than Russia's 2007 proposal,
usulan Rusia 2017,
in a particular region
di wilayah tertentu
if they had more kids.
jika punya banyak anak.
because he wants to limit
dia ingin membatasi
and people of color.
traditions and culture and color
tradisi, budaya, dan warna Hungaria
and much of the EU,
dan sebagian besar Uni Eropa,
high enough right now
tidak cukup tinggi
there is a demographic decline.
terdapat penurunan demografis.
is going to be brown and Muslim.
akan berupa kulit coklat dan Muslim.
in these countries?
di negara-negara ini?
are more literate, more educated.
lebih berpendidikan.
opportunities -- applaud.
-- tepuk tangan.
but kept it above that magic 2.1 number.
tapi tetap dijaga di atas angka magis 2,1.
more access to birth control,
ke alat KB,
their reproductive lives,
kehidupan reproduksi mereka,
are opting out of having kids,
memilih tidak punya anak,
the United States of America,
Amerika Serikat,
hit its historic low in 2017.
titik rendah bersejarah di 2017.
country in the world
termahal di dunia
to have a baby,
untuk punya anak,
Honda Odyssey minivan, OK?
minivan Honda Oddysey baru.
is zero, and guess what?
dan coba tebak?
industrialized country in the world
industrialisasi di dunia
to offer paid parental leave.
memberi cuti orang tua digaji.
congratulations, that's lovely.
senangnya.
or you're fired, young mom!"
Ibu muda!"
keduanya orang tua bekerja,
a month -- in Virginia for childcare.
di Virginia untuk penitipan anak.
that's 40,000 dollars a year.
souped-up, Honda Odyssey minivan, OK.
modifikasi minivan Honda Odyssey.
for people to have babies.
we actually have to invest in the present
kita harus berinvestasi sekarang
who want to become parents.
yang ingin jadi orangtua.
France reported the highest birth rates.
punya tingkat kelahiran tertinggi.
kebijakan pro-natalis
and paid maternal leave.
dan cuti melahirkan digaji.
are finally wisening up
some of you have listened to me
mendengarkan saya
we can make in the future
untuk masa depan kita
want to have babies
ingin punya anak
ditulis sebulan lalu.
three days ago for me,
tiga hari yang lalu,
sambil menangis.
from the hospital."
dari rumah sakit."
a bump on the stomach.
sebab ditemukan benjolan di perut.
and there were bumps all around her liver.
terdapat benjolan di sekitar hatinya.
that she has stage IV liver cancer.
menderita kanker hati stadium IV.
everyone, top-down,
semuanya, atas ke bawah,
some of the speakers, word has spread.
beberapa pembicara, kabar telah tersebar.
said I had to say this --
saya harus sampaikan ini --
and kind this week.
minggu ini.
my Ibrahim and Nusayba, my babies.
anak-anak saya.
and the fight ahead,
dan pertengkaran
was the best decision we ever made.
keputusan terbaik yang pernah kami buat.
and they've brought the world so much joy,
pada kami dan dunia,
but life is a risk.
tapi hidup adalah sebuah risiko.
paying attention,
in developed countries
di negara maju
our economy and pensions.
perekonomian dan pensiun.
most beautiful infinite possibilities.
terberani, terindah dari umat manusia.
memilih tidak berpartisipasi,
and future generations,
sekarang dan nanti,
on this absurd journey together?
perjalanan absurd ini?
and who choose to,
dan memilih,
and who choose to have kids,
punya anak,
this beautiful thing called life,
yang disebut kehidupan,
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Wajahat Ali - WriterNew York Times contributing op-ed writer, recovering attorney, playwright and exhausted dad Wajahat Ali celebrates the diverse narratives of the United States and advocates for a more inclusive cultural landscape.
Why you should listen
As Wajahat Ali writes: "I'm a left-handed son of Pakistani Muslim immigrants who is still trying to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up -- but once in a while, I can tell a great story and amuse people. Now, I get paid to write and tell stories that are by us, for everyone. As a father of two caramel-mocha skinned babies with multi-syllabic names, I often ask myself, 'What's my role as a parent? How do I protect my children from unique challenges and horrors they will have to face?'
"Even as the doubts and worries multiply, my wife and I still believe having kids was the best decision we ever made. Not only have they brought us considerable joy, but they have inspired me to try to fix as many of the problems we face today, so all of our children can emerge as the protagonists of an evolving American narrative."
Wajahat Ali | Speaker | TED.com