Tohtihan, 42, is a Uygur. "When my husband and I were laid off 15 years ago, we moved to Beijing and opened a stall selling nang (Uygur traditional flatbread) in the Niujie area. We have three children, two in Xinjiang and one with us in Beijing. The reason we came to Beijing was the hope that three children could go to school in the capital, which would give them greater chances of becoming well-educated, useful members of society."