Across the Pacific

My grandfather left China when he was ten years old. As of now, I do not know why he left. At that age, I would imagine that his parents made that decision for him.

For me, I left Manila in May of 1989. I just completed my internship at Metropolitan Hospital in Manila. I got married in October of the same year. It was October tenth, the Independence day of Republic of China. For the next two years, I worked as a resident at Country Hospital in Taipei. During those two years, I took the licensure examination to acquire a medical license but did not make it.

My wife Shunchun was the general manager of Slimmer's Diet Center. She obtained her degree in nutrition from Fu-Ren University. One day, she told me that she wanted to go to America to get a Masters degree in Nutrition. She applied and got accepted in Oklahoma State University. I had to make a decision whether to go with her or stay in Taiwan. I applied for US visa thrice and was rejected all three times. Finally, on the last try, the gentleman from Hong Kong gave me a tourist visa.

We left Taipei on May 25,1991. We took Delta Airlines, made a stop over at Korea's Kimpo Airport and then landed in Portland, Oregon. I still remember the lush green surrounding the Columbia River as we were approaching the airport. As we waited for our flight to Dallas, Texas, someone asked me where I was going. When I said Dallas, he said, " Do you know that that place is so hot that you can fried an egg on the side walk?"

Dallas was still bright when we landed at 9 pm. It was one of those first impressions that stayed with me. Security was totally different at that time. Our friend was at the gate when we walked out of the plane.

That was the beginning of my adventure in this new world. I was thirty years old at that time, much older than my grandfather. Life, I would say, was challenging at times. I had to work at St John's Catholic Church in the campus of Oklahoma State University as a janitor. I later worked at Peking Palace, a local Chinese Restaurant. Looking back, two qualities of overseas Chinese might be flexibility and resilience. Even with a medical degree, I did not mind moping the floor of the church and chopping vegetables in a restaurant. I would imagine that my grandfather did the same.

From then on, it was series of visa change until finally in September of 2005, I became a US citizen and call this home.