My Dad’s great-grandfather, whom he has never met, entered the U.S. as a “paper son” to escape poverty in the 1910s. It means he bought documents under another person's name to enter America under the disguise of being someone else's son. Back then it was the only way with the Chinese Exclusion Act. It barred any Chinese immigrants from coming to America unless they had relations already in the States. It was strenuous and painful to go through the process of entering the States. It involved going to Angel Island and maybe being detained for several days, weeks even months being interrogated with questions about your life. If a person buys documents, they have to memorize everything about themselves, or risk being sent back to China with no chance of returning to America. My great-grandfather took that chance in order to have a better life in the States.  My great-great-grandfather’s actual name was Tam Woon-Man (“Grandpa Tam”). Throughout the rest of his life, he worked in a Chinatown laundromat, sending money to my family in China.  

– IL

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more