Grandfather Immigration's Story

by Stephanie Zheng

I interview my grandfather’s immigration story. My grandfather named Benjamin; he is 77years old right now. When he came to United States, he was 56 year old. He moved from China to San Francisco on November 24, 1994. He has five children. In last century 80s-90s, his brothers and sister all moved to here, except him. But later, his sister became his applicant to apply he came to United States. Finally, he came here with his wife who he loves and important to him.

            His story can separated to two parts about his life in china and his life in United States. He bore in a poor family in china. He worked in his own small farm with his children. They all have different jobs. Every day, he needs to water the crop, feed the chicken, ducks and pigs after he wake up. At the end of the year, they sell the vegetables and fowl to get a little money. The children always hungry, because the family was poor, they don’t have enough foods. However the life was hard, but was happy. He told me that time he cannot forget forever.

When his sisters and brothers came here, wrote the letters back to him, told him how good was United States. He determined to bring his family to here, began a new life. Before he came here, he imaged all the good things have happened. When he took off the air plane, he got a shock. All the building and car were modern, he never see that at before. He lived in sunset neighborhood with his wife, his sister and his sister 3children where a dark, wet and small brunch. His sister was also very poor in here. My grandfather’s happy didn’t continue very long. He very needs to find another brunch to live with my grandmother. But rented a house was expensive to him because he cannot find any job. He doesn’t know English and how to use the modern machine. He became sad when the day past. Finally he got a job in the supermarket’s meat Shoppe. Every day began work in 8:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the evening. Stand whole day 14 hours to kill and clean the pigs, then packed the pork, sell to the customers. The job was very hard and dirty. The pork was heavy; so far, he got lots of rheumatism. The paid was very low, just enough to the rent. He told me, when he finishes the work, he always too sleeps to forget take off the bus. When he dreams, he always dreams he was killing the pigs.

Once, his boss escape, but didn’t paid to him. He started became crazy. The times goes by, my grandmother was worried him. When she walked on the way near the house, she found my grandfather who was looks messy and cried, sat in the floor. My grandmother told me, she also afraid because she didn’t know what happened. But she knows she needs to calm down. She sat down next to my grandfather, hug him. About one hour later, my grandfather felt better, he promise to my grandmother, no more cried by himself. They told me the house owner was nice, she allowed my grandparents paid the rent later and my grandfather find the new job soon.

The times goes by, they were became old, but love each other. When they told me this story, they laughing and smiling. At my eyes, this story was touched. Now, they come true their dream, they apply all the children to here. They always tell me how hard they lived in US at before, but always with the smile to tell me the experiences. Their immigration story affects me so much. Right now, I am a new immigrant, when I face the problems, I always will relate to my grandparent, they were brave and positive, never give up. Their attitude encourages me became a stronger person all the time… …