My Voyage

January 1, 1899

  It's been hard in China for my family and I these past couple of months. My mother and father work all day and we still don't have enough food for all of us. See I live with my parents, grandparents, and two younger sisters. Now that I'm 12 years of age I have to work, which means I can't go to school. My father really wants me to go to school so he decided the only chioce is to move to America. I've heard about America before, they say it's the land of opportunities. I am really excited to go but my father said that he was going first so that everything would be ready when we went. I can't hardly wait!

March 17, 1889

  Father left home about 5 weeks ago and has been sending us letters. He says that he has found a job working as a cook in a chinese resturant in a place called California. He also sent us money and that night ate like kings.Father also says that he is coming to get us soon. This made mother very nervous because we do not know how to speak english. She was also nervous about how the people were in America and how they would treat us. I'm nervous to go to America because I would be leaving my friends and family back in China. But over all I know that leaving is the best chioce...

May 22, 1899

  Father came for us 2 weeks ago and we went directly to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong we went aboard a boat. We are still on that boat! Father said that it's a long way to America. My parents told me to be very carefull on the boat because if not I would get sick. I didn't understand way but many people got really sick. I'm really tired of being on this boat. There is alot of people and its really crowded. It's hard to be excited when all you see for months is the blue ocean. I hope we get there soon....

October 12, 1899

   My family and I have finally arrived in America. But first we were kept in a place called Angel island. We were there for 2 months. My family and I didn't really understand what was going on because everyone was talking in english. Mother told me that we had to be interviewed first before entering America. It was really frustrating to be so close but yet so far away from our goals. After that horrible time in Angel island, my family and I made it to California. Now my sisters and I are going to school and my parents are working in a chinese resturant in chinatown. Life has become much better for my family and I. America really is the land of opportunities!