From The Peopling of New York City
|
Susan's Profile
|
|
| Name
| Susan Chen
|
| Birthdate
| March 19
|
| Location
| Staten Island, NY
|
| Education
| CUNY Brooklyn College
|
| Family
| Father, Mother, 1 Younger Sister
|
| Religion
| Christianity - Evangelical Lutheran
|
Family Background
Water and oil can never mix, no matter how hard one tries to mix the two. My family and New Yorkers are like water and oil, respectively. Communication difficulties and racism are the two major factors that prevent my family and New Yorkers from mixing. No matter how hard we try, we always sink to the bottom, while the rest of the New Yorkers float to the top.
My father was the first in his family to come to New York in 1986. He grew up in China from a poor family with his father, mother, and five brothers. Because he was the third oldest, he had to help take care of the family, along with his two older brothers. The three of them were responsible for bringing food onto the dinner table. They had to farm and fish from dawn till dusk every day. As a result, my father stopped attending high school in his mid-teenage years. When he was twenty-three years old, he decided to immigrate to New York to look for a brand new life. He didn’t want to work endless hours in the fields anymore. He believed it was time for a change. He faced many challenges when he first arrived at New York. The most significant was language difficulties. He didn’t know how to communicate with New Yorkers because he only knew how to speak Cantonese. Fortunately, he found an apartment in Brooklyn and a job in a Chinese supermarket as a seafood salesperson in Flushing, Queens, a Chinese-dominant city in New York. When he began to settle down, he gradually brought his family members over, one by one. Together, they searched for a better life in the new world.
When my father felt it was ready to start a family of his own in the new world, he sent for my mother in China. My mother grew up in a middle class family. My grandfather owned a business and had some money, so he was able to pay for my mother’s education. My grandfather’s business encountered some obstacles not long after my mother graduated from high school. He lost a lot of money and couldn’t afford for my mother to go to college and pursue a degree. My mother was deeply saddened by the opportunity lost because she’d always loved learning and going to school. When school was over for her, she dedicated her life to taking care of her family, which consisted of her father, mother, and two older brothers. One of my uncles was a heavy gambler. He didn’t bring money into the family. Instead he took money out of the family and onto the gambling table. My mother and her non-gambling brother worked extra hard to support the family. A few years later, my mother met my father. Before he left for America, he promised her that he would send for her when he settles down. And he kept his promise.
In New York, in a brand new place with a brand new start, my parents worked extra hard to strive for a future in this foreign country. They worked night and day. My father continued his job as a seafood salesperson and my mother became a seamstress in a factory. When my mother first came to New York, she wanted to go to college to get a degree because the only way to get a high paying job in America was with a college degree. This was impossible, however. My father’s salary was only enough to cover his auto-insurance and the rent. Therefore, my mother needed to earn money to buy food and to pay bills.
In 1989, I was born and one year later my sister was born. My mother became a home-working seamstress in order to take care of us. Throughout these eighteen years, my parents have been through a lot, happiness, tears, arguments, and exhaustion, just to raise us. They want to give the best things to my sister and me. They don’t want us to walk in their paths. Instead, they want us to receive a good education, and find a good and high paying job in the future. My parents are the most altruistic people.
My parents came to New York to look for a better life. I came to New York because I was born from my mother. So physically, my parents, sister, and I are all New Yorkers. But, we are not true New Yorkers. It is hard for Chinese immigrants to fit in to the community. Although New York is a very diversified state, there is only a very small percentage of Chinese people residing in New York. Racism is a major factor that prevents Chinese people and other minorities from mixing in with the rest of the population. Language is another factor. My parents, up to this day, still don’t know how to communicate with New Yorkers because they can’t speak English. Racism and language act as barriers that prevent the melting pot from fully melting. My family and New Yorkers are like water and oil, respectively. No matter how hard one tries to mix the two liquids together, it is impossible. Similarly, no matter how hard my family tries to mix in, we always tend to sink to the bottom. Classmates always tease me for being Chinese. They would say things like “ching-chung” or “Chinese-girl.” “Ching chung” doesn’t mean anything in Chinese. It’s probably not even Chinese to begin with. And “Chinese girl” is just plain mean. I know I’m different from the rest. I don’t need to be told that. Although my parents have been living in New York for over twenty years, they don’t seem to mix in with the others due to language difficulties. When they’re at community meetings, it is very easy to pick them out because they’re different from the rest. They stand out. They’re always standing on the side scratching their heads and trying to figure out what the others are saying.
Living in New York doesn’t automatically give one a free pass to become a true New Yorker. To be a true New Yorker, one needs to fit in with the rest. My parents, sister, and I are not New Yorkers because we cannot mix in with the population. We stand out in the community. Hopefully in the future, we can mix the water and the oil together.
Gallery of Photos
Brooklyn College CCF Welcoming the Year of the Rat
|
CCF Rose Selling (Valentine's Day)
|
CCF Ice-Skating (2/18/08)
|
BC CCF @ CUNY Gospel Camp '08
|
|
|
