My Story

I was born in Chinatown, New York City, the first child of a young, recently immigrated Chinese couple. The day they released me from the hospital, my parents drove me 500 miles away to a small town in Pennsylvania where they owned a small Chinese restaurant. I would be raised around Chinese restaurants for the next 18 years of my life. Of course, all I managed to do at first was create havoc. But gradually, my nibbling and tearing at freshly wrapped egg rolls was soon replaced by a steady accumulation in helpful work skills. Each year I became more responsible, skilled, and efficient. Naturally, I was rewarded by being handed more duties.
Now my parents pride themselves in their Chinese culture. From a young age, I was taught to respect all the traditions and important Chinese holidays and gods. To further solidify my Chinese heritage, my mother had me begin learning to read and write Chinese characters at age four. By that time, I had already moved three times since birth (not including the move from birthplace to Pennsylvania). I now lived in the foothills of the Adirondacks in northern New York State. There weren't many Chinese people up there and certainly no Chinese schools. So, unlike many other little Chinese children, I began my studies with only the impatient instruction of my demanding mother.
All was well until kindergarten came around for me. I was a frightful child. I didn't understand or speak a word of English, and I appeased my anger and frustration by maliciously tormenting my classmates and teacher. I was continually the topic of complaint at my elementary school board, and my parents were notified numerous times. I guess they finally figured out one day that they had concentrated too much on keeping my Chinese heritage alive because pretty soon my mom began giving my brother and me intensive courses on the English alphabet and number system! Of course, my studies in Chinese never stopped. Even at such a young age, my parents had begun to expect a lot out of me. They wanted my brother and me to study hard and do well in school so we could go to Harvard and become doctors and lawyers in the future. They worked hard in the restaurant, and we helped; the bulk of the money was saved for our future. Now, years later, these dreams have become my dreams and my pressure and will to succeed are fiery as ever. But, I have also come to adopt my own ideas and values. I have set aside the traditional Buddhist beliefs in search of a scientific, universal explanation for God. Religion, I find, does nothing but separates us. Growing up in two very different environments at home and at school led me to become more open-minded and curious. The fact that I have been exposed to so much diversity through moving around the nation only increases this. My family and cultural background, work experience, and numerous moves around the country have done the most to shape my dreams, values, curiosity, determination, and skills.