This letter dated July 21, 1999, is more than 20 years old, and still looks like new.  It was to confirm that a moving company would be coming to my home in Hong Kong on August 10, 1999, to do the packing for shipment. My family and I had decided to leave our birth place, Hong Kong, for good, to the U.S. to reunite with my elder sister and brother who were already naturalized as U.S. citizens. 

This letter weighs less than an ounce but represented the space of half of a shipping container whih could house all our belongings, included clothing, appliances, furniture, and even a piano. It takes about 15 hours to travel by plane from Hong Kong to Chicago. It took, however, about a month for the shipment to arrive at our new apartment in Chicago.
  
This letter also reminds me that I had to leave behind my friends, my career as a teacher and news editor, and other achievements, and that I had to start from scratch on a "foreign" land for the sake of pursuing better education for my 3 children. There were many unknowns and challenges lying ahead of us. 

I started to earn my living by working as an employment counselor with a community based social service agency located in the heart of Chinatown serving the Chinese community.  I gradually established my second career through promotions and switching jobs. My children have all grown up, received good educations, and are about to walk on their own paths.  In the past 20 years, many things and documents were disposed of due to moving or house cleaning but this letter is still well-kept. It reminds me of a drastic change for me and my family.  

– BL

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant