{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-story-js","path":"/story/my-familys-daring-escape-b/","result":{"pageContext":{"data":{"id":"-171dca5c-772c-59dd-9cd6-d0d4bbc5dfec","authorFirstName":"Brandon","storyTitle":"My Family's Daring Escape","photo":{"asset":{"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/nr9digz2/production/cc721ec3ee5ae08884cc3366ec696d360f0e2203-1500x1000.jpg"}},"audio":{"asset":{"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/files/nr9digz2/production/53762a741d704bb433d4b2343b0f817c9a87b6f4.mp3"}},"secondLanguageAudio":null,"school":{"name":"2nd Nature Academy (SNA)","city":"Nashua","location":"New Hampshire"},"tags":[],"_rawText":[{"_key":"d76b508e035f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"7f7a46c8dd780","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I was born in the US along with my parents and other relatives. My grandparents, though, have a different story. They were both born in Taishan, Guangdong Province, China. My Grandpa was born in 1937, and my Grandma in 1941. Around that time, during WWII, Japan invaded China and killed over 2 million people. My grandparents hid from the Japanese army in bunkers near their villages."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d9053e4ddd06","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"51c8de8720e20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Fast forward to the end of WWII, and when Japan surrendered, the Chinese Civil War broke out from 1945 to 1949. The Communist forces led by Mao Zedong and the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek were fighting over the control of the mainland. Unfortunately, in 1949, the Communists were able to take over the government and the mainland, forcing the Kuomintang to retreat to the island of Taiwan. After the war, Mao Zedong began the Cultural Revolution, which rapidly industrialized China. However, Mao killed over 20 million people during his Revolution, taking control of Tibet and Xinjiang in the 1950s."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"cb611608f76f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"eec171a99bc80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Both of my grandparents were caught in the midst of this, and they were almost killed numerous times. In 1955, my grandmother’s family was ready to take the long journey to Hong Kong, which was British territory at the time. My Grandma and her sister Selena escaped in a group with each other, and the plan was to meet the rest of the family in Hong Kong. For two weeks on foot, they hiked from Taishan to Canton, eventually reaching the port to get on a boat to Hong Kong. They successfully escaped the Communists and fled to Hong Kong, later meeting up with the rest of the family. They resided in Hong Kong for 5 years from 1955 to 1960. Together, my Grandma, her sister, her two brothers, and her parents eventually came to the United States in 1960. They arrived in San Francisco and then settled in Lawrence, MA. They then opened a restaurant in 1963 named the Hong Kong Restaurant located in Chelmsford, MA."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"06923aaa1bfe","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2207e7f1e8040","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"My grandfather and his family lived in different places at the same time. My grandfather lived in Hong Kong, and my Great-Grandfather was already in the US applying for papers to bring my grandfather’s family over. My great-grandmother and aunt were still living on the mainland in China. In 1963, my grandfather came to the US with his sister and mother. They settled in an apartment in Allston, MA. Eventually, my grandfather started working as a busboy in my grandmother’s family’s restaurant. Eventually, my Grandma and Grandpa started to become close friends with each other and got married."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f7171cc6e2a9","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"fde1c28de7920","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This decision affects me since because they moved here, I have a better and different life than they had. My life would have been a lot different if my family were still in China. I wouldn’t have any freedom or rights. The things that they had to endure trying to come to this country were just unbearable. My grandparents tell me how lucky I am to be here and that I should be grateful to have the life I have. Sadly, my grandmother suddenly passed away in 2024 from a brain aneurysm. Even though she is not here, I always honor the sacrifices that she made. The lesson I was taught is to be grateful for your life now and to always respect your family members' choices, since they can have a huge positive impact on your life. Every day, I thank my grandparents for coming here, because if they hadn’t escaped, I may not even be alive."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8936612418b4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ec575785eee90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}]}}},"staticQueryHashes":["3309388390","890781507"]}