A New Life: Immigrant from China

My dad was born and raised in Hefei, China. He was a hardworking student who attended the University of Science and Technology of China, a school in his hometown. He completed all his pre-PhD education in China and came to the United States to continue his academic career. To him, being an immigrant means access to a new job, society, country, and opportunities. The most important thing he left behind in China was his childhood friends, but he said he still stays in contact with them today through social media. He thinks an important part of keeping his culture alive when immigrating from China to America was continuing to eat Chinese food and later on allowing his children to experience eating Chinese food too. He continues to read and listen to Chinese news because that’s where many people he cares about, such as friends and extended family, live. He thinks his children’s (my sister and I) experience of growing up now in America is easier than his experience in China because we have a better education and familial financial situation. My dad came to America for graduate school to get a PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). The biggest struggle of being an immigrant to my dad was migration culture and experiencing cultural barriers in American society. He believes China has now experienced more economic growth and modernization than he did when he lived there. The biggest culture shock he experienced when coming to America was having to drive in cars to travel everywhere because he grew up in the city, where people mainly used bikes and walked to get from one place to another. Immigrating to the United States gave him the chance to achieve the American Dream, get a higher-paying job than he may have had in his home country, and provide his family with more opportunities. My dad’s courage and determination to get where he is today inspire me. From this interview, I took away that even though immigration can be a difficult journey, mentally and/or logistically, it was worth it for my dad and he was able to achieve many of his life goals in America.