Lin Huaming, director of Xiamen's Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and a returnee himself, says statements like "this person cannot be put in an important position" or "this person has complicated connections overseas" would be entered in their files. These were black marks that ensured overseas Chinese would be denied appointments to important posts or jobs privy to state secrets. With career paths blocked, many worked as teachers.
同是歸僑的廈門市僑務辦公室主任林華明指出，遭受懷疑，檔案中被記上「此人不可重用」、「此人海外關係複雜」等語句，就代表歸僑青年們無緣接觸性質較機密、權力較重的「重點工作」，升遷機會也受阻，因此「在學校當老師」，就成為普遍出路。