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New Beginnings

In this story, Kathy shares her experience immigrating from China to the U.S. and eventually putting down roots in San Diego.


Thirty years ago, I decided to immigrate to the U.S. as a 24-year-old graduate student. I saw America as a land of opportunity that would give me more personal freedom and chances to achieve success than I had in China.

Kathy grew up in northeastern China

However, the move was a very big risk for me, as I had to leave the family, friends, and culture I’d grown up with. I had never even been on a plane or traveled out of the country before.


Kathy moved from China to Northern California for graduate school

When I arrived, life was very challenging. For one, I wasn’t completely fluent in English, and my knowledge of American culture was limited. I remember hearing people say “uh huh” and not understanding what it meant. Money was also extremely tight. My parents had no money to spare, so they couldn’t provide much financial support for me in the U.S. I relied only on my student scholarship. I chose the least expensive meal plan because I couldn’t afford the other options. I ate only instant noodles for days at a time for money to last. Every time I was at the grocery store, I never looked at anything that was not on sale. To save money on tuition, room, and board, I took 5 or 6 courses per quarter while other students took 2 or 3. On top of my heavy school workload, I worked part-time as a waitress.


After graduation, I got a job working in an office. I had more money, could afford more things, and life became a little more affordable. However, I still had to work long hours in the office, bring work home, and work on weekends. A lot of days I had to work on the computer until 3 am and make it to a team meeting at 9 am.


After I got married and started a family, we had to think about where to buy a house and how to save more money for the down payment. San Diego is an expensive area, so buying a house was not easy. After working for 7 years, my husband and I drained all our savings and emptied our retirement accounts, but that still wasn’t enough for the down payment. We had to borrow money from relatives and take out two more loans from the bank. In total, we actually took out three loans just to be able to buy a house in San Diego. After 17 years, we still have one jumbo loan to pay every month.


It’s upsetting to see the racism that is present in society. The U.S. has a long way to go towards achieving racial equality. However, I hope that everyone can share their voices and engage in productive dialogue. Together, little by little, I believe that we can build a more harmonious and safe community for everyone.


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