“We left our house with our small bag to go to the cargo ship knowing that I may never see my house again, and that we could be shot for walking the streets during the curfew.” My uncle Tai was born and grew up in Cholon. Cholon was a district of Saigon which was the capital of old South Vietnam. ... Read More »
What if I told you that a young girl, living in a family of ten in northern Greece, would find her way to Palo Alto, California, married to a New Yorker with a daughter and two loving grandsons? My grandmother, Amy Lewnes, was born on November 30th, 1933 in a small town in northern Greece called Serres. She lived with ... Read More »
It was a cold winter day, and I woke to the warming rays of the sun shining down through a small skylight, and the clinking of plates as my mother prepared breakfast. Wrapping the blankets tightly around myself, I struggled to leave the warm embrace of my bed. As I finally pulled myself away from my bed, I looked over ... Read More »
In the early 1900s, my great grandpa smuggled himself in a boat, hiding from the authorities, coming to America, not knowing what his future held, in a foreign land thousands of miles from his family. My great grandpa, Huey Leong, was born in Canton, China, a period of many cultural uprisings. Huey felt that his life was unfulfilled, and was ... Read More »
Realizing that my kids grew up without much love from me, as a mother, I decided to move to America. Squeezing through the tight aisle of Boeing 767, I found seat number 27F and sat in the little chair. My name is Jennifer Jin, a person who dreams of advising and supporting others with patience and a faithful heart. I ... Read More »
Then one summer day in 2012, our family woke up in 3 AM in the morning to catch our flight to America. Airport security had been increased because of a bombing the day prior to our departure. My father, Danail, was always a mediocre student. He mostly got Bs and Cs while in middle and high school. He did not ... Read More »
Elizabeth was born in Cabugao, a rural town in the Philippines. Recounting her memories of Cabugao, she told me, “There were a lot of poor people. It’s called the barrio, Padayog in Ilocano (dialect of this region). My grandparents’ house was next to our house, so we saw them everyday. I used to have a black cat, and my dad had a ... Read More »
One day, a strange woman showed up at the door, saying that Sarah was alive, but she and her family were starving in Kiev. My Great grandfather lost it all when the Communists took over. Joseph was born around 1899 in a village outside the city of Kiev in Russia. He had four brothers and sisters. His parents were upper-middle ... Read More »
Focusing on improving his golf game and visiting family, Jack Jhin lives his life relaxed. At 81, Jack has been through countless tales, both wonderful and terrible experiences. For this story, he recalls his journey to America and his life there as a first-generation immigrant. Growing up in Seoul, South Korea, Jack Jhin was very fortunate. Coming from a family ... Read More »
Chicago. \Photo by Francisco Antunes Coming from Argentina to Chicago, there was a big weather change but nothing my parents couldn’t handle. They migrated to Chicago to start their own family. There was not really a plan. My mom and dad were only in their early 20’s. It was in the 1950’s, so segregation was still going around. When ... Read More »