In this series, we interview new immigrants to the US to hear their stories, struggles, and dreams. Here, we speak with Hu Yang (his name has been changed), from China.
Hu Yang, from China
Hu Yang comes from the city of Tai Shan in Guangdong Province, China. After graduating from college, he began working as an intern at the Bank of China. He remained at the bank for 17 years, rising to the position of Loan Officer Manager. Hu Yang speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and Taishanese (the local dialect) fluently. He learned English in school.
When Hu Yang’s parents moved to America some 20 years ago, they urged him to join them. Hu Yang was established in China, but in order to be closer to them and to provide his young daughter with a better education, he agreed. His parents applied to sponsor the family and after many years the application was approved by the US government.
Arrival in America: From excitement to confusion
When he arrived in America, Hu Yang was excited and also curious about this new country. After a while, though, he says his excitement turned into confusion. He had problems with the language and couldn’t have conversations with Americans (Hu Yang hadn’t spoken English since school and in the meantime, he had “forgotten everything”). In China, he had many friends whom he talked with often, but in the US he could only speak to his family – and the adults worked every day and were too tired to have conversations when they came home. Slowly, he became more and more confused. His wife felt the same way.
Sometimes Hu Yang met other Chinese immigrants. They, too, told him that they were confused about this country. They felt like Americans are different from Chinese, with a different language and different food.
Return to China
In June 2019, Hu Yang, his wife, and daughter left this country and returned to China. It had been so hard in the US. In China, he had friends and almost 20 years of work experience. In America, there was no one he could talk to and he always stayed home.
“You’re a loser”
Hu Yang had expected to stay in China, but within three months, he and his wife decided to go back to America. Why? He lists several reasons: First, his parents were in the US. Second, he lost his banking job when he moved to America and now he was unemployed. Sometimes he felt that when people looked at him, they thought “You’re a loser”. Hu Yang hoped that if he returned to America he could become successful one day. Furthermore, there was the immigration regulation that if they remained longer in China, the family would not be allowed to enter the US. If they went back to America, however, they could still visit China in the future.
Back to America
Hu Yang’s family returned to the US in September 2019, in time for his daughter to begin the new school year. She is happy to be back because she likes her school. In China, the teachers often yelled at the students, but they don’t yell in America. And here, she has no homework. She has made friends in her class, most of whom are Chinese, and together they speak Mandarin or Taishanese and sometimes English. Her ESOL teacher has been supportive and told Hu Yang that his daughter’s English has improved. Hu Yang regrets that his English hasn’t been good enough to talk to the other teachers. In China, teachers and parents speak often, but here that hasn’t been possible.
Hu Yang’s wife works in housekeeping at a large hotel. Her English is not as good as her husband’s, but she tries to learn. She often tells her daughter, “We speak English at home”, but in the end, they primarily speak Taishanese.
Upon his return to America, Hu Yang began working at the front desk of a Chinese restaurant that is an hour away from his home. Work begins at 10:30 am and sometimes, if they’re very busy, he stays until 10:30 pm or even midnight. If necessary, he helps out in the kitchen, or delivers food.
What surprised him? America isn’t as advanced as China!
Hu Yang tells me that the Taishanese have a long history of immigration to America. In Tai Shan, people imagine that America is far more advanced than China and Hu Yang expected to see beautiful, modern cities like Shenzhen with tall buildings everywhere. Instead, he found many old buildings, some dirty streets and very slow public transportation. Not only that, but here people pay for things with cash or credit cards, while in China all you need is the WeChat app on your phone. No one carries change. As he puts it, China is more advanced in a lot of things.
Hu Yang was also surprised that he couldn’t buy live chicken here and he misses “fresh” food. Frozen chicken simply isn’t as delicious.
What does he miss in America? Having friends.
Much more than the food, however, Hu Yang misses having friends in the US. At first, he kept up lively conversations on WeChat with his friends and relatives in China, but over time the calls became less interesting. Hu Yang and his Chinese classmates often chatted after their English class, but classmates aren’t the same as good friends. They don’t have the same history, and they come from different areas. He misses what he calls “the feeling in Tai Shan”.
How does he feel about his situation now?
Hu Yang has lived in the US for four years. Sometimes, he says, “the feeling is not good”. He had a good job in China, but in America he has been working long shifts in a restaurant.
Training for the future
To improve his situation, Hu Yang decided to study English after his return to the US and enrolled in language classes while he was also working at the restaurant. His English level rose high enough for him to qualify for a training program for immigrants in Banking and Finance, which he has completed. He then applied for, and was accepted for, a job at an American bank that has many Chinese clients and does business with Asia. He will begin as a bank teller and believes that his ability to speak three Chinese languages will help him better serve the bank’s Chinese customers.
What are his goals?
In the future, Hu Yang hopes to be able to rise from the position of bank teller and become more involved in customer service. He would like to buy a house, but that’s very expensive in America. And he would like to improve his English so that one day he can converse fluently with other Americans.
Does America feel like home?
When I ask Hu Yang if America feels like home now, he pauses for a moment. “I think I have to teach myself. I have to change myself … to fit in America”, he says. Now “it’s better than before”.
In his free time, Hu Yang has traveled to New York City, Long Island, Boston, Washington DC, and to see the foliage at Mt. Washington. He likes to visit universities and has already been to Brown, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Harvard. He enjoys the fact that in America you can study different things and you can meet people from different places, try food from many countries, and visit all kinds of locations.
Hu yang is a strong tree
When I ask what name he would like me to use for this article, he immediately replies “Hu Yang”. The hu yang is a tree that grows in northern China. It’s strong and can withstand harsh conditions.
