When I was three, my parents and I moved to America, a place that was completely unfamiliar to them with new faces, a foreign language, and an unknown future. My father chose to migrate, hoping for better job opportunities, with his skills in computer engineering and overall, a better life for me and my mother. The photo shows the computer he has used since we arrived, a symbol of his journey and resilience. Despite his skills, he faced countless setbacks because of our ethnicity. Many companies favored others who were often less qualified, over my father solely because they were American-born. Watching him handle the most challenging tasks while being underpaid was heartbreaking, a reality shaped by discrimination based on race and nationality. He fought hard for citizenship, hoping for fairer opportunities, but the it was a very long and difficult journey. Witnessing my father’s struggles gave me a new perspective and view in life. It taught me the importance of embracing my ethnicity and standing up for equality. The challenges he faced mirrors some of the main impacts of policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and it is shocking that such discrimination persists today. Each time I see his laptop, it reminds me of the sacrifices he made so my family could have a better life in America, and it contributes to my fight for justice and equality.

– NK

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant