黄美回来美国1990年。她，她的爸爸和妈妈，也两个弟弟和一个妹妹。她去芝加哥。她的学校是Senn。 她的家没有宠物，可是她喜欢够。她喜欢美国。
Huang Mei came to America in 1980, when she was 18. Although she was born and raised in Vietnam, her parents were both Chinese. To this day, she identifies and calls herself Chinese. She came to America with her mother, father, and three of her siblings.
Huang Mei fled Vietnam when the communists took over the country. At first, her and her family fled to Malaysia, where they stayed in a refugee camp until they were accepted by the US as immigrants. But, their flight through Vietnam was harrowing. After boarding a refugee boat with her father, which was grossly overloaded with people, the boat broke down in the middle of the sea. There they drifted, until they were picked up by Malaysian fisherman, who brought them to the edge of the shore. (It was illegal for Malaysian fisherman to bring in refugees as the camps were grossly overcrowded. If they were caught, they would lose their fishing license.)She was stuck in the Malaysian camp for four weeks before she was finally allowed to come to the US.
After she reached the US, she flew to Chicago. Here, she went to Senn High School located on the Northside near Andersonville. High school was a hard time for her. She was mocked for her accents and her inability to speak English. At home, her parents worked small, non-skilled labor jobs in order to support themselves. For her high school years, she lived in poverty. Finally, her parents work paid off and they were able to purchase an apartment near uptown.
Two years after arriving in America, things changed. Huang Mei had learned how to speak English, and was becoming close to fluent. She went two college and got a 2 year associate degree. She got a job as a technician, and today, lives and works in Andersonville.
Critical Thinking Questions
Today, in America, forging a new identity is a new challenge. Back 50 or 60 years ago, all immigrants lived in the same community, faced the same discrimination, and all bore the same burden. Take Chinatown for example: 60 years ago, 9 out of 10 people from china who immigrated to Chicago settled in Chinatown. There you could forge your own identity among people of your same culture, but you would still be seen the same by “Americans.” Today, that has changed, but the stereotypes have remained. People coming to America can live anywhere. No longer is it that 9 out of 10 Chinese immigrants in Chicago settle in Chinatown. Now that population is vastly spread out. Yet the stereotypes formed 60 years ago still remain, but that is true for every culture. History has proven that disproving stereotypes is one of the hardest things to do in the world.
Being American has two connotations. To some immigrant coming from a refugee camp, America is the land of opportunity. “Freedom of speech, religion, and just about everything else. A fair government and a free market. Here is a chance to start over again. Anything is possible here, it is just requires work. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Yet many see America as a Scrooge. The war in Iraq shows that that “America is greedy, intent on policing the world. They are a culture of sex, violence, and greed. They have no true culture, no respect. Money, money, money.” These are the two ends of the “Being American” spectrum. Most Americans tend to fall in the middle, or slightly toward the first definition.
I personally had always identified America as a land of opportunity, even though I believe that America’s foreign policy is that of greed and war. Doing this interview made me truly realize that America really is a land of opportunity. When you take someone, say from Vietnam with an oppressive government, and show them America, to them it is just like heaven. We all hear of the success stories, but only sometimes do we hear of the hard work that is required. This interview confirmed that America is a land of opportunity, but to fully reach this opportunity, you need hard work. As they say, “Freedom is really free”.
My family had it soft compared to Huang Mei and her family. I’m a mix of German, Irish, and some French and Swedish. My parents came to America over a hundred years ago. They have been settled here comfortably for years. While it required hard work for them back then, they didn’t have to endure the camps or dreadful sea voyages. Back then, all you had to do was buy a ticket to America. Now, you need someone to sponsor you if you are a refugee, you have to wait in camps. My family came looking for some work, and better times. They weren’t fleeing an oppressive government that would kill them. Both of the families had to work. But, Huang Mei and her family had a much harder time. Back then, being white helped you out, as those of a different skill color are discriminated against. Sadly, it today’s world, it is easier for someone of Caucasian descent (who is an immigrant) to find work then it is for someone who is Chinese. (Especially if you are an immigrant, but it is still hard even if you are a natural citizen.) While all races still experience stereotypes, (Irish are hard drinkers, Norwegians are good skiers, Chinese are good at math…) the most oppressive stereotypes fall on those that look and act different from the American norm.
Huang Mei came to America in 1980, when she was 18. Although she was born and raised in Vietnam, her parents were both Chinese. To this day, she identifies and calls herself Chinese. She came to America with her mother, father, and three of her siblings.
Huang Mei fled Vietnam when the communists took over the country. At first, her and her family fled to Malaysia, where they stayed in a refugee camp until they were accepted by the US as immigrants. But, their flight through Vietnam was harrowing. After boarding a refugee boat with her father, which was grossly overloaded with people, the boat broke down in the middle of the sea. There they drifted, until they were picked up by Malaysian fisherman, who brought them to the edge of the shore. (It was illegal for Malaysian fisherman to bring in refugees as the camps were grossly overcrowded. If they were caught, they would lose their fishing license.)She was stuck in the Malaysian camp for four weeks before she was finally allowed to come to the US.
After she reached the US, she flew to Chicago. Here, she went to Senn High School located on the Northside near Andersonville. High school was a hard time for her. She was mocked for her accents and her inability to speak English. At home, her parents worked small, non-skilled labor jobs in order to support themselves. For her high school years, she lived in poverty. Finally, her parents work paid off and they were able to purchase an apartment near uptown.
Two years after arriving in America, things changed. Huang Mei had learned how to speak English, and was becoming close to fluent. She went two college and got a 2 year associate degree. She got a job as a technician, and today, lives and works in Andersonville.
Critical Thinking Questions
Today, in America, forging a new identity is a new challenge. Back 50 or 60 years ago, all immigrants lived in the same community, faced the same discrimination, and all bore the same burden. Take Chinatown for example: 60 years ago, 9 out of 10 people from china who immigrated to Chicago settled in Chinatown. There you could forge your own identity among people of your same culture, but you would still be seen the same by “Americans.” Today, that has changed, but the stereotypes have remained. People coming to America can live anywhere. No longer is it that 9 out of 10 Chinese immigrants in Chicago settle in Chinatown. Now that population is vastly spread out. Yet the stereotypes formed 60 years ago still remain, but that is true for every culture. History has proven that disproving stereotypes is one of the hardest things to do in the world.
Being American has two connotations. To some immigrant coming from a refugee camp, America is the land of opportunity. “Freedom of speech, religion, and just about everything else. A fair government and a free market. Here is a chance to start over again. Anything is possible here, it is just requires work. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Yet many see America as a Scrooge. The war in Iraq shows that that “America is greedy, intent on policing the world. They are a culture of sex, violence, and greed. They have no true culture, no respect. Money, money, money.” These are the two ends of the “Being American” spectrum. Most Americans tend to fall in the middle, or slightly toward the first definition.
I personally had always identified America as a land of opportunity, even though I believe that America’s foreign policy is that of greed and war. Doing this interview made me truly realize that America really is a land of opportunity. When you take someone, say from Vietnam with an oppressive government, and show them America, to them it is just like heaven. We all hear of the success stories, but only sometimes do we hear of the hard work that is required. This interview confirmed that America is a land of opportunity, but to fully reach this opportunity, you need hard work. As they say, “Freedom is really free”.
My family had it soft compared to Huang Mei and her family. I’m a mix of German, Irish, and some French and Swedish. My parents came to America over a hundred years ago. They have been settled here comfortably for years. While it required hard work for them back then, they didn’t have to endure the camps or dreadful sea voyages. Back then, all you had to do was buy a ticket to America. Now, you need someone to sponsor you if you are a refugee, you have to wait in camps. My family came looking for some work, and better times. They weren’t fleeing an oppressive government that would kill them. Both of the families had to work. But, Huang Mei and her family had a much harder time. Back then, being white helped you out, as those of a different skill color are discriminated against. Sadly, it today’s world, it is easier for someone of Caucasian descent (who is an immigrant) to find work then it is for someone who is Chinese. (Especially if you are an immigrant, but it is still hard even if you are a natural citizen.) While all races still experience stereotypes, (Irish are hard drinkers, Norwegians are good skiers, Chinese are good at math…) the most oppressive stereotypes fall on those that look and act different from the American norm.
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