lts project

I have seen the challenges of immigrants and the following generation firsthand and indirectly because I am the daughter of a first-generation Chinese American. My parents and grandparents come from a little town in the southeast-coastal province of Fuzhou in China. When my family first came to America in the early 1980s, they made New York City their home by putting in a lot of effort, starting a family, and constructing a life for themselves there.

When my family departed, the situation in that Fujian village was quite dire. My dad’s family relocated to Hong Kong when he was a very small child, despite the fact that my parents are both from the same destitute village in China. My dad’s family still experienced hardship in Hong Kong. He and his brother began making and selling pencil sharpeners at the age of seven to make ends meet. The family of my mother, on the other hand, was among the first to receive money from relatives who had fled to America. As a result, her family was able to purchase a rice cooker and some culinary supplies, which she shared with her neighbors.

My family, like most immigrants, left poverty for even greater poverty while simultaneously experiencing marginalization and rejection from the new culture and the outside world. Escaping to America was challenging and involved numerous struggles. The first person to arrive in America was my grandpa. He began by spending his first five years as a cook at a Chinese-American restaurant. In order to support his family of six, who resided in a one-bedroom home, he would return the hard-earned money he had earned back to China. My father and his family finally arrived in America after a five-year absence marked, only to find themselves stuck working various professions at Chinese restaurants, including host, waiter, and chef. When my grandpa was able to start up his own Chinese American restaurant in New York City, my dad was forced to leave school at the age of 16. He left school so that his younger brother could complete high school and possibly enroll in college. The restaurant industry required a lot of time, effort, and energy because it was open for 12 continuous hours every day.

Chinese people now form a significant element of American society. My parents’ hometown’s population is now largely concentrated in America, primarily in New York City. Chinese speakers are now the third largest ethnic group in the US, and their numbers are increasing. When I think of my family, I picture them from their stories, along with the dirt roads, outdoor swap meets, and numerous occupations they held, such as farmers, seamstresses, and watchmakers.

All that my parents desire for their kids and the next generation is for them to succeed and not have to endure the struggles that they had. They have done all within their power to ensure that we have what we need to succeed. They place a strong emphasis on education and white-collar work. My ability to succeed today is a direct result of my family’s struggles. All I have and am able to do is because of the privileges and liberties they fought for and attained. I graduated from high school and attended college before anyone else in my family.

With everything my parents and grandparents have given and suffered for me, my current challenge is to achieve. I’ve learnt to push myself, be observant, and not be timid about exploring and having new experiences. I’ve discovered how to find passion in what I do, and I hope to share and encourage others to do the same. I have inherited their commitment and work ethic, and I will apply those principles to all I do going forward. They have helped me learn to keep going and resist giving up quickly.