In the United States today, it is very common to meet people whose parents or extended family are from a different country. America is full of opportunities and can be appealing to those looking for a better life. Family needs, financial problems, and poor living conditions can push some immigrants to leave their homes, while others might just want a fresh start in life. There are many reasons why immigrant families choose to migrate to a new country. Two immigrants I know very well each had their own reasons for leaving their home country, China. Both my mother and father didn’t have the best childhood growing up in their villages in China, something children today could never imagine.

Back in China, they had to support their families by doing chores, cooking food, and helping with whatever household duties needed to be done. Their childhood days were spent with lots of responsibility and little fun, the opposite of what many children expect while growing up in the United States. They both knew they wanted to leave China as soon as possible. Despite not knowing each other, both of my parents wanted the same things: an education, a job, and to start a family of their own. Although this was all possible in China, they wanted to give themselves better opportunities in life, and America provided those opportunities. Fortunately, they ended up meeting in Boston and were able to reach their goals together.

My mother migrated to America by plane with her parents and two younger siblings in March of 1991. After my mother and her family arrived in Boston, she attended school at Charlestown High School and then Fisher College. She shared a small home in Malden, MA with her aunt and the rest of her family. They lived in Malden for nearly two years before settling in a small apartment where they lived for three years. My grandfather would work day and night to save up money to purchase a house of their own.

Meanwhile, my father had already made it to the US before her. He had come to America by boat with his uncle at the age of seventeen in 1989. When my father arrived, he started to work immediately. He worked at numerous restaurants for long hours. His main motivation was to send money back to his family in China. Like my mother, he also lived with his aunt and her family, but they lived in Kenmore Square.

Each of them had begun working on their new lives individually, but in 1995, my parents officially met in Chinatown. A close friend had invited them to eat dim sum together, which then led to a talk about their similar experiences moving to America. A few years later, my parents got married. With my father’s hard work, he was able to help my grandfather purchase a home in Quincy, where we live today. With a brand-new home, they had their firstborn, my brother, in 1997. Two years later, my older sister was born in 1999. Finally, they had me, the youngest, in 2003.

Thankfully, they were able to achieve their goals of starting a family of their own, purchasing a home, and getting jobs to support their families back in China. Without that close friend, perhaps none of this would have even happened! But, the beginning of their story really started when they decided that they wanted to immigrate to America. With their hard work, ability, and patience, they were able to give my siblings and I the life we have today. Growing up, my parents provided me with food and shelter, loved me, and taught me. Because of them, I’ve learned to give back to others, learn from my mistakes, and never give up. They’ve taught me a lot, shaping me into the person I am today.

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