Adversity In My Life

I grew up in Taiwan. It was the goal of many parents there to get a good education for their children so they could go to university in the United States. So after high school I was sent to a university in the Midwest in 1969 to study mechanical engineering. It was very difficult for me. I knew hardly any English and there were very few Chinese-speaking students there. I was lonely. Terribly lonely. I cried a lot when by myself in my room. But I made it through. It took me five years, but I made it through. Many years later, after I was established and married with children of my own, I sent for my parents.

Anonymous

I left Cuba when I was 17 years old. These guys drove into our village and told us to get into the truck. They said, “We need you to
There was nothing on the shelves. Nothing. We had money, but we could buy nothing. Later, there would be long lines for bread. People standing in line for hours for a loaf of bread. Maybe there would be some for you when you got to the front, maybe not. It was the same on the days they had flour. Some days there was none.

On the day they came to take us to cut sugar cane, I had a short-sleeve shirt on. You don’t cut cane with short sleeves. I got all cut up. Everywhere. All up and down my arms, bleeding. Look at these marks on my arms! The leaves are very sharp. I said, “That’s all; no more.” I swam out into the ocean. I didn’t care. I would try to make it to the American base. If not… [shrugs]

A boat picked me up. It was American military. They asked me questions. I told them I was not going back. They told me if I wanted to go to America I would have to join the military and fight. [This was during the Vietnam War era.] I told them, “No problem.” So I joined the Navy. After I got out, I moved to California. I couldn’t see my mother for 35 years. I couldn’t go visit her because I would be in big trouble. [And] they would never let me out. 35