Introduction

我访问我的妈妈有关她移民来美国的问题。她已来美国二十五年了。她先来美国读书，拿工程硕士学位。然后在芝加哥市政府做事。她很喜欢美国的生活。

Interview Subject: Lisa Wong

I first arrived in the United States1982, in August. I got to America by plane. I came from Taipei, Taiwan. I didn't have a job back then. I came here to study. I studied safety engineering and fire protection. My family's only expectation of me was to get a Master Degree. I took my studying very seriously. School was super important.

American individualism is different from Chinese culture. Americans focus more on individuality. Chinese focus on group achievements. By group I mean they don't emphasize individual excellence.

Many people think being accepted as an American is an issue. I don't feel that it's too important to me. Many Chinese are starting to marry “outside the Chinese-American community". It is fine…it's nothing for me to feel.

When I came to the United States I never felt like I was caught between two worlds. I had no problem adjusting to the new environment. I did face acts of discrimination when I first came here as an immigrant.

When I graduated from graduate school, found a job with Ohio Fire Department, the fire department accepted me, but the Ohio council rejected me simply because I didn't have a permanent residence card.

I do sometimes feel like an outsider though. When I don't understand what people are talking about in English. Some times when I was watching a comic show I didn't know what they were talking about.