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Emily Zhou Interview by Jeff Tancil, Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Jeff Tancil: Where are you from? Where is your family from?

Emily Zhou: I am from Changle, China. It's a small city of Fujian province. My family is
also from there.

JT: Why did you and your family come to America?

EZ: The reason for my brother and I came to America was different from my parents. For my parents, they have been living here for more than ten years. They told me the reason for them to come to America was making more money.
Because at 1989, there was a revolution in China made economy became terrible. My parents' business was beat down at the time. So they thought about coming to America, but only my father really did, because my mom had
to stay there to take care of my brother and me.

The life of my father in America was very harsh. He was an assistant chef. His duty was preparing the food and mopping the floor every day. He worked 12 hours in the basement of
a Chinese restaurant. However, his slavery was only twenty dollars a day. When he came back from his work, he's always exhausted. He even cried for many times. So he told my mom he wanted to come back to China, but it was
impossible, because my father borrowed about thirty thousand dollar from my relatives and his friends to come here. How could we pay all the debt if he came back?

Finally, my mom borrowed thirty thousand dollar from my relatives to go to America. So for my mom, her purpose was to provide a mental support for my father in this foreign country, so that he wouldn't think that he was fighting alone. Because she believed only in America we could pay all the debt.

The reason for my brother and I came here because my parents asked us to America. Personally, I was very thankful of this opportunity. Because I knew America had more job and education opportunities than China. Also here had more freedom.

JT: What were the hardest things to leave behind?

EZ: The hardest things left behind me were my friends and my family. If I go to America, it will take five or six years for me to see them again. Because I had to take that long to get my green card. Also the living condition, food had a big change. I cannot eat the various and delicious Chinese food in America.

JT: What do you miss the most?

EZ: I miss my two best friends most. They are college students in China now. We connect each other by email. I met them when I was in seventh grade, but we became closed friends was in the last year of middle school. I remembered the last year of middle school was crucial for us. Our density would be decided at this year. Because if we didn't pass the score line that the high school decided to take students, we would be out of education. Then we studied really hard. Also we lived in school and at the same room. So slowly by slowly we became very good friends.

JT: Where do you live now?

EZ: I live in Flushing now.

JT: Do you like your home? If you do like it, why? If you don't, what do you not like about it?

EZ: I like it. Because there are several parks around my home. In the sunny day, I can do exercises in the park. The air and environment is good. Also I have my own small bedroom. My family is warm even though sometimes we still have some argues.

JT: Do you like New York City? What do you like/dislike about it?

EZ: Yes. I like NYC. I like the museums, Central Park, high buildings, statue of Liberty, culture and so on. I think NYC is like hotchpotch. People from all around the world live in NYC. It makes NYC became more colorful and interesting. Because the immigrants also bring their cultures and languages to here. We can see and learn other countries cultures and languages. Another reason is there are a lot of job and education opportunities here. Like it has ESL program for newcomers. It is very helpful for new immigrants. Also there are a lot of free trips for altenary school's students.

JT: What surprised you most about America? What are your favorite things to study in school?
I think the freedom and education system surprised me most. My favorite thing to study in school was English. I want to improve my English skills.

JT: What do you like to do after school?

EZ: I like to watch TV.

Jeff Tancil: Where are you from? Where is your family from?

Emily Zhou: I am from Changle, China. It's a small city of Fujian province. My family is
also from there.

JT: Why did you and your family come to America?

EZ: The reason for my brother and I came to America was different from my parents. For my parents, they have been living here for more than ten years. They told me the reason for them to come to America was making more money.
Because at 1989, there was a revolution in China made economy became terrible. My parents' business was beat down at the time. So they thought about coming to America, but only my father really did, because my mom had
to stay there to take care of my brother and me.

The life of my father in America was very harsh. He was an assistant chef. His duty was preparing the food and mopping the floor every day. He worked 12 hours in the basement of
a Chinese restaurant. However, his slavery was only twenty dollars a day. When he came back from his work, he's always exhausted. He even cried for many times. So he told my mom he wanted to come back to China, but it was
impossible, because my father borrowed about thirty thousand dollar from my relatives and his friends to come here. How could we pay all the debt if he came back?

Finally, my mom borrowed thirty thousand dollar from my relatives to go to America. So for my mom, her purpose was to provide a mental support for my father in this foreign country, so that he wouldn't think that he was fighting alone. Because she believed only in America we could pay all the debt.

The reason for my brother and I came here because my parents asked us to America. Personally, I was very thankful of this opportunity. Because I knew America had more job and education opportunities than China. Also here had more freedom.

JT: What were the hardest things to leave behind?

EZ: The hardest things left behind me were my friends and my family. If I go to America, it will take five or six years for me to see them again. Because I had to take that long to get my green card. Also the living condition, food had a big change. I cannot eat the various and delicious Chinese food in America.

JT: What do you miss the most?

EZ: I miss my two best friends most. They are college students in China now. We connect each other by email. I met them when I was in seventh grade, but we became closed friends was in the last year of middle school. I remembered the last year of middle school was crucial for us. Our density would be decided at this year. Because if we didn't pass the score line that the high school decided to take students, we would be out of education. Then we studied really hard. Also we lived in school and at the same room. So slowly by slowly we became very good friends.

JT: Where do you live now?

EZ: I live in Flushing now.

JT: Do you like your home? If you do like it, why? If you don't, what do you not like about it?

EZ: I like it. Because there are several parks around my home. In the sunny day, I can do exercises in the park. The air and environment is good. Also I have my own small bedroom. My family is warm even though sometimes we still have some argues.

JT: Do you like New York City? What do you like/dislike about it?

EZ: Yes. I like NYC. I like the museums, Central Park, high buildings, statue of Liberty, culture and so on. I think NYC is like hotchpotch. People from all around the world live in NYC. It makes NYC became more colorful and interesting. Because the immigrants also bring their cultures and languages to here. We can see and learn other countries cultures and languages. Another reason is there are a lot of job and education opportunities here. Like it has ESL program for newcomers. It is very helpful for new immigrants. Also there are a lot of free trips for altenary school's students.

JT: What surprised you most about America? What are your favorite things to study in school?
I think the freedom and education system surprised me most. My favorite thing to study in school was English. I want to improve my English skills.

JT: What do you like to do after school?

EZ: I like to watch TV.