The story of my parents started from here, Upper West Side in Manhattan, New York. My father started backpacking around the world from his twenties. My mother enjoyed traveling here and there with her friends on vacation. They both visited New York individually in the 70s or 80s and went back to their country, Japan. Back then, New York gave excitement and thrilling vibes, which they could not forget and eventually came back. My father and mother lived in the same apartment in Upper West Side. They both fell in love, and years later, they had my brother and I. Upper West Side was still developing twenty years ago. Although my father was thinking of our family moving to Queens with cheaper housing, in my mother’s heart, she had a strong gut that living right by Central Park is the greater environment for her children. They both do not have a college degree in the U.S. but my father worked hard to provide the family to live in Upper West Side in Manhattan, New York, where everything gets expensive every year. He worked in Japanese restaurants as a waiter, assistant manager, and also had experience owning one in Midtown near Times Square. My mother took care of my brother and me. I once thought they could’ve just moved back to Japan when the financial status got bad from 9.11 and Lehman Shock in 2008. They did not. They fell in love with New York and wanted the best for their children to live, grow, and educate in a diverse environment with a huge love and support. Now that I'm older, I am grateful for what they have done for my brother and me. - AT

– AT

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant