Lim Family Revival

Young suh Lim

November 17^th, 2014

Professor Michal Eskayo

Lim Family Revival

           

            On December third 1997, Korea had a serious economic crisis. Many Korean people got fired and a lot of corporations went bankrupt because the Korean government owed a lot of foreign debts that they had borrowed from other countries to develop the Korean economy. However, the Korean government did not know how to handle the foreign debts. Thus, many people were negatively affected. This crisis is called the I.M.F crisis. Of course, my family was influenced by the I.M.F crisis. My father got fired from his company. Furthermore, half of my relatives got fired as well. Unbeknownst to us at that time, the I.M.F crisis became an opportunity to improve the Lim family’s.

           

The first way that the I.M.F influenced my family was that my father lost his job and stability. My father used to work at a Medical Corporation as a sales team leader and he earned a reasonable salary from his work. However, the company that my father worked for was suddenly affected by the I.M.F crisis, so my father got fired. At the same time, my father got conned by one of his best friends. He convinced my father to invest in his company, but After my father invested, my father’s best friend ran away with the investment. After my father was swindled, we sold our house and we moved to Incheon from Seoul Korea with a lot of debt. Incheon was a poor town in Korea back in those days. All I could see around my house was farmland and animals, such as cows, pigs and chickens. At that time, I did not realize why we moved to Incheon, and I kept complaining to my parents to go back to Seoul.  

            At the same time, my father had tried to find a job, but nobody hired him due to the I.M.F crisis. All the big companies avoided hiring people. My mother, however, worked for a government officer. Government officers were never fired in Korea as long as they did not do illegal things. Therefore, My father tried to take the public officer test, but the government stopped hiring people at that time as well. As a result, my dad was very frustrated. I recently asked him how he felt at that time and he answered that he thought that he was going to commit suicide. Fortunately, one of my mother’s relatives worked at Honeywell Korea, which is an international business corporation. One of our relatives thankfully offered a job to my father selling heating and cooling machinery. He luckily got the job. From the moment, my father started working at Honeywell, and my family became stable.

            Finally, the most unexpected effect was that my father planned to open his own business, which was a partnership with Honeywell. Even though Korea was still going through economic circumstances, he kept preparing his business. My mother and sister were really concerned about opening the new business, but he ignored their concerns. My father called his brothers who got fired from their workplace to offer them jobs at my father’s company. Many of my relatives joined my father’s company. Unexpectedly, my father’s company started grown rapidly. He started by repairing Honeywell products. Moreover, my father knew how to do commerce. Therefore, he traded Korean products to Indonesia, China and India. Furthermore, he even attempted to make the company’s own gas burner. Since my father stated gas burner business, the business has been doing well.

             The I.M.F crisis has remained a negative memory for all Koreans who went through that crisis. However, the story I heard from my father makes me think the I.M.F crisis was a chance to change and improve our family’s standard of living. Even though my family had challenges and betrayal, it was the significant step for my father and rest of my family. Furthermore, one thing impressed me about this crisis. When I was talking to him, my father said, “I had to do my best. Even If I was hungry, I did not want my family to feel hungry and poor”. Due to his perseverance, the Lim family now has an enjoyable life because of my father.

Destiny

       When I was a child my life was just like living as a prince. The reason I lived like a prince was because of the Reform and Open Policy. My family were like the majority of China and living in a bad condition before the policy came out. Deng Xiaoping who is the president of China carried out the Reform and Open policy at the 1970s. The policy gave chances to some cities and the people who lived in these cities to do whatever they want to do at that time. China was a closed society country before this policy came out. All the Chinese citizens needed to follow the instruction made by the Party to earn a living. However, this policy made the people in China do everything freely. My grandmother was one of the lucky people who became rich and improved the living standards of the family by the hard work she did. Accordingly, what she did has changed the route of my family; moreover, it let me have a chance to study abroad.

My grandmother founded a toy-making factory in the 1990s, and she made a lot of money with the business. At the beginning, my grandmother was just a worker in a small toy-making factory when the policy was carried out. Although she worked so hard to support her family, what she earned was never enough to support the family to live comfortably. Also, all the goods and products were expensive to them, so they lived in a small house, and could just eat some meat during the New Year. Therefore, she decided to set up her own business and tried to earn much more money for a better life. At first, she saved a small amount of money by just eat buns for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every month, and she borrowed some money from her parents. After that, she used that money to set up a toy-making factory by herself. The factory would make toys and export to other countries. Every day and night, my grandmother stayed in the factory to make the toys with her workers. What’s more, the price she set was low. As a result, some developed area companies bought my grandmother’s product without thinking. This was the first time my grandmother made money with her business. Although the profit she made was low at first, the quality of her products was good. Thus, more and more companies wanted to keep buying the products again. Accordingly, our family used the money made by my grandmother to start improving their living conditions.

As time went by, my grandmother became richer than before. In addition, she started to think about the future of our family and me. Because of the policy, people could immigrate overseas at that time. Therefore, she decided to immigrate to the U.S. after making enough money for her business. This important decision influenced the future of my family and me. At first, she thought about which location would be good to settle down. At last, the place she decided to move was Chicago. The reason she wanted to choose Chicago was because all her sisters were living there, and she can spend her rest of the life near her family. Moreover, she sold the factory to a businessman who was interested in my grandmother’s factory. Therefore, she had enough money to start a new life in Chicago. In 2003, she moved to Chicago. In addition, the other reason she chose this city was because she knew the education in Chicago was good. She hoped I could study in Chicago and have a better job in the future. She didn’t want me to have to work so hard like her to earn a living. After moving to Chicago, my grandmother decided to reopen the business to make money. Although she hoped she could do this one more time, she was too old to work so hard again. Therefore, she decided to save the money for her family, in order we could live well after moving in this new country.

Seven years later, she passed the immigrating exam and became a U.S. citizen. She decided to apply us to move to Chicago. Three years later, my family and I moved to Chicago. However, her hard work throughout her life and the age made her health deteriorate. Few months later, she passed away. My family and I felt sad after she passed away. What she did was for the family and me, I am deeply moved every time when I think about the things she did for us. I love my grandmother so much, but I can’t tell her any more, and I regret that I never told her before. My grandmother was unusual for a woman of her generation to work so hard and make a huge success.

My grandmother did series of things that influenced my family, and even changed her life. Through her hard work, she became the boss of a factory and moved to other country to spend her rest of the life. She changed her destiny by her hard work. Because of the Reform and Open Policy, many people in China made a lot of money. There are many stories about these people. They are creating or following their own destinies. And now, I know it’s time for me to write down the history which will change my destiny in the future

Unimaginable Impact

Unimaginable Impact

A general decision hugely affected the next two generations of my family. During World War II, my grandfather was living in a needy Chinese family. Because my grandfather needed to take care of his large family, he left Taishan and came to Kaiping to get a preferable job, but he failed. Accordingly, my grandfather found other ways and went to Hong Kong. In 1941, after my grandfather had worked in Hong Kong for three years, the significant event happened called the Battle of Hong Kong. The Japanese army had occupied Hong Kong, and this event influenced my grandfather. He lost his job, so he had to return to Taishan. Two years later, my father was born. Because my father was the oldest son of the family, he had responsibility to support the family life. My father went to Jiangmen to find a better job. In fact, these influences began with my grandfather’s decision. This decision had profoundly affected my father because would marry my mother in Jiangmen, and my family would immigrate in the future.

My parents’ marriage was the first effect of all influences on my family. Since my father was living in Jiangmen for about five years, he married a beautiful woman who late became my mother. Accidentally, my parents found at a small clothing company. They generally had a similar working schedule and often worked together, so they had more contact with each other. Day after day, my parents understood each other even more. My father made his first significant decision and he proposed marriage to my mother. In addition, my father had seriously promised to my mother that he would marry her. A half year later, my father prepared a gigantic surprise for my mother. On the Chinese Valentine’s Day, my father proposed marriage to my mother in front of hundred of people in the company. “I promise I will give you many unforgettable memories, and we will create a wonderful family if you marry me.” My father said romantically. Two years after my parents married, my sister, Julie was born, and I was born a year later. In fact, there was a big problem came out with our birth. My parents did not want my sister and me to live in China forever, and they began to think about our future. They decided a farseeing decision to migrate a foreign.

The second effect was that my Uncle Qiang and Bill supported my family’s immigration. My mother has a younger brother named Uncle Qiang who was living in the U.S at the time. He was a gentle person who applied for my family’s immigration. Uncle Qiang was an old overseas Chinese and had been lived in Chicago for about twenty-one years. He had immigrated to the U.S before my sister and I were born. Since Uncle Qiang was living in the U.S, my parents asked him to help my family immigrate, and Uncle Qiang had agreed. Moreover, Uncle Qiang and his wife Aunt May used many ways for applying. Aunt May requested her old cousin named Uncle Bill to assist my family. Fortunately, because Uncle Bill was a professional lawyer and had powerful support, the Chinese Consulate had applied to my family immigration soon. As a result, Uncle Qiang applied to my family immigration successfully, and Uncle Bill became my family guarantor. Therefore, my family got this migratory chance.

The most positive effect was that my family’s immigration to the U.S changed our lives for good. Since our first year in the U.S, I realized that getting to higher education was part of the inevitable things I had to finish in the U.S; therefore, I studied as much as I could. Four years later, I grew up to be a thoughtful student. In fact, I had never studied industriously before. Probably, the American environment had affected my thinking, so I seriously took pains to study hard in all my courses at college. Furthermore, this wonderful American life influenced my family life even better. After I had lived in Chicago for three months, I found a pretty good part-time job as a waiter at a Chinese restaurant. I never believed that I could take care myself well with a part-time job when I was living in China; nevertheless, it was possible under the U.S. Now, this diverse American life affected myself well. I have become an independent person and have an enjoyable part-time job, and I can study at the excellent college.

The little decision to move to Jiangmen had profoundly influenced two generations of my family. I appreciate my grandfather very much. He had done his correct choice and returned to Taishan. Because of my grandfather's excellent decision, my father married my mother, and my two uncles helped my family immigrate. These events had affected my family and gave us an unimaginable opportunity to immigrate to the U.S. It has completely transformed my family life, education, and myself forever.

Always Changing

Caiyun Liang

ESL 100

      

   Life is in a sense an experience. I always enjoy the process and never be afraid of the difficulties. One Chinese custom I could not abide by was the traditional life path of four steps, education, work, marriage and bringing up children. In a typical Chinese, If women got married, she would never have a chance to study because she has to take care of your family. When I was in middle school, I had always dreamed of studying in America. Even though it was just a dream, I always thought of selecting an English major in high school. When I graduated from the university after four years, I chose a teaching job. Working as a teacher it had also made me more aware of the importance of studying. However, there was one thing evident, I was eager to take on Western education as my life dream. Therefore, I gave up my Chinese life and immigrated to The United State to finish my studies. The effects of moving to Chicago were challenging for me, my husband and my son in that they faced with many problems. Despite these effects, my family and I have been able to deal with problems of all kinds since our arrival.

 It was a challenge for me to go back to being a student after fifteen years of teaching. The surroundings were not to my expectation when I stood on this new land, even though I felt a nervous excitement when I was talking to the foreigners who spoke English fluently. I will never forget the first day that I went to Harold Washington College. I was sitting at the table under the lectern, a handsome teacher, Mr. Luke came to the classroom. I couldn’t find any other words to describe my situation but excited, confused and expectant. “Am I a student?” I asked myself many times. Mr. Luke asked me to play a game in class which helped me understand English phrases. My new perceptive teacher asked me: “Caiyun, were you a teacher when you were in China?” After his asking, it made it clear that I was a student instead of a teacher. Suddenly, I felt warm and content, because I could study in such a good college. Two years have gone, I still kept at my studies although I met a lot of hardships. I believed that I will hold this chance to improve my English in my journey through life.  

For my husband, on the other hand, it was a sorrowful change because he gave up a rewarding job to adapt to this new environment. My husband was a typical engineer who had a typical job that made him happy. For many people, a good job is sufficient to guarantee happiness and contentment. Because my husband did not know English when we arrival, he worked as a porter at a market in Chinatown. For him, this was a demeaning Job which made him upset. He was knocked up from overwork. Also, home and workplace were the two parts of the complete circle in his life. In fact, Chinatown was his life because he did not like American food, he could only survive in Chinatown. He who stays in the valley should never get over the hill. It was difficult for my husband to change his old lifestyle to adapt to this new environment. However, he had already faced the situation bravely.

Furthermore, there was a psychological trauma for my son who was only nine because he was uprooted and planted in a strange school away from his friends. He was not fearful that he had no English basics, but what was fearful was that he was not well prepared to face the strangers and establish enough confidence in studying. I remembered my son’s diary post from fifth grade. He wrote: “I miss my friends in China so badly, and I miss the school... It is a good chance to study in Chicago, because the learning environment is very good and the way of studying is very active...Difficulties are temporary. I will never give up...” Therefore, he just had the belief that he would never give up, so he never let us down. He studied very hard and never afraid of being laughing at when he spoke English. He spent a lot of time reading to improve his English. He was the only student in his grade to get an “A” in all subjects for a whole semester. My son’s efforts were gratifying for the whole family.

Surviving a new world will never be as easy as dreaming, but my life keeps on changing. It seems that our life is off to a new start. My family and I have already been able to overcome many difficulties because we are closely united. If we never lose our sense of wonder, anything is possible. There is no absolute good or bad in our life, as it is almost always changing.

Anger over Happiness

Cagla Esiyok

ESL 100

                                                      Anger over Happiness

Without knowing any reason or explanation, my country faced an unpredictable political event. In September 12, 1980, Turkish army overthrew the government and then started control strictly the public. This military coup issued basically inference of power that would provide outstanding status in society. The chaos which military caused inside the society did not affect any one unless one completely defers to military rules. Still some people rise in rebellion toward the rules then arrest by military or forced to be alliance. The military governed Turkey over two years and have left serious impacts on the humanity, hope and even indirectly, unborn children in Turkey. The military coup demolished many peoples' dreams about future, and my father was one of victim who had to give up his own dream.

Rebels, whose were against the military coup and their rules, and Alliance whose got benefit from that event created two different group in society and that caused many people got killed. Groups actively, hunted new young members like catching fish in order to get more power. Group members were fıghting each other and often losing the control of violence. As a high school boy, my father was an easy target. My father told me he and his best friend supported the government side, so their group mission was attacking military supporters' houses. Once my father and his friend were on their home way when they were attacked then killed his best friend. After that, my father turned into a vengeful person. Accordingly, my grandfather had to make a decision to leave that city otherwise he know that my father would go for revenge.

The Increasing violence every day in Erzincan left only chance to inhabitants that was leaving their home. This decision enabled people from eastside to live more. Even though decision was right, it brought new problems like economic and adaptation. My father's family left everything behind them and at that time. Finding a job was challenging for anyone who was against military. Part time job might be able to solve the economic problems. However, my father had no willingness to be neutral. Eventually, his brother who is six years older than him and my grandfather got a job and supported the family. My father caused new chaos by being stubborn about returning to their hometown. Moreover, he did not consider new environment and opportunity that his family and he had. For example, they did not face any threading or attack in their new area, and new neighbors were friendly, high educated people but he acted unbelievably rude toward his new neighbors and friends. Consciously, he was skipping the school in order to chasing military soldiers around the city, although this attitude was too dangerous.

Unfortunately, 12^Th September 1980 military coup had serious impact on educational perspective of students therefore, during the military coup, many university students, specially, those who were studying law and political science quit their major because they thought after that military coup there is no future in this country. In fact, this thought has maintained its impact for long years. One who thought in same way was my father. Even though he always wanted to be lawyer, he did not apply to the law school. Even now he believes that the law is not able to protect people in Turkey. As result, my father decided not to be educate in Turkey and went to Germany for education. He observed the Germany while he was there and developed his abilities with them which meant he could speak German but not well. After his short adventure in Germany, he decided to back to country in order to open restaurant. By this decision, he have walked out on his dream.

Military coup destroyed many peoples' future and my father was only one example. He could not follow his dream to be a lawyer, but he indoctrinated his passion about being lawyer to my sister. I believed that if that military coup had not happened, my father would not wanted my sister to be international lawyer eventually, we would not have been able to come here. I hope that those who experienced that bad event in the past, their children, granddaughter or grandson might gain something valuable in the future. Some event in the past has absolute effect in the future, and for me in this case has no exception.

Hybrid Love

Suki

                                                                  Hybrid Love

              The War of Resistance against Japan is one of the most famous events in China that my grandparents experienced. I have been listening to their stories since I was a baby. I used to count how many beloved family members and friends they had lost, or how many times they were telling the same story. In addition, Japan’s aggression against China started much earlier than the Eight Nation Alliance in 1900, before the First World War. Therefore, my grandparents were taught that Japan is an evil country by their parents and grandparents. In other words, they are never going to see eye to eye with the Japanese. To their surprise, their one and only precious daughter, my mom, married a half evil blood gentleman- my dad. Miraculously, my grandparents raised me and love me more than anything. That was the beginning of my struggle as a Chinese person. I understand many Chinese citizens like my grandparents have emotional and unforgettable engraved memories that are hard to let go. Also, many of them told their next generation that Japan was public enemy NO.1. However, the war had brought too much sadness, so my grandparents wanted I grew up full of love and understanding from two cultures. Therefore, I was told that I should love and cherish what I have every day, which made me strong and considerate after I moved to the States.                                          

 

             My grandparents’ childhood was a disaster. They both grew up fleeing hunger and fear. Moreover, they saw dead bodies and destroyed buildings everywhere. My grandmother never had any toys to play with, and she did not know if she still had a chance to open her eyes once she fell asleep. People died because of diseases, bad weather, hunger, or murder. Every night when her mother said goodnight, she knew that might be the last time to see her mother, and she knew tomorrow they might need to play the “walk and hide” game for the whole day until they found a place to sleep. My grandfather is a posthumous child, his father left his pregnant wife to fight war and never came back. Grandfather was lucky because his hometown was one of the Japanese army headquarters, so it was less damaged. He could go to school, but at school everyone was forced to learn Japanese. Moreover, every kid needed to carry an information card which had the kid’s name, class, age, and blood type. Certainly, all of the students were forced to donate their blood to the Japanese soldiers. Sometimes, Japanese soldiers took few kids to do some tests in the laboratory, and no one returned. His teacher was killed because he tried to protect my grandfather and ten other kids not be taken to the lab. To earn a living, my great-grandmother cleaned Japanese soldier’s uniforms by hand even in the snowy nights. I cried with my grandpa when he talked about how his mother sobbed when she tried to remove blood from those uniforms. That might be her husband’s blood; this person may have killed her man. With years of all these terrible feelings and great-grandmother’s damaged fingers, by the time grandfather was thirteen, he decided to work in a factory as an apprentice, so he could help support the family.

             My father’s parents also suffered a lot because of the war, but no one talks about it at home. I guess it is a sensitive topic that is kind of taboo. My dad’s mother who I called obaasan, was found by his father’s family in a field, after Japan lost the war. Although they knew she was the daughter of Japanese military, they still decided to raise her as their daughter because they believed kids were innocent. When my obaasan knew how to speak Chinese, she told her stepbrother (my dad’s side grandpa) that she saw her military dad use bayonet killed himself because he felt ashamed to return to Japan, no matter how hard that she and her mom beg not to do it. Then her mom hugged her and said gomennasai (sorry), killed herself with a gun due to her despair. The house was a mess, everyone tried to pack and jump onto the truck. No one realized my obaasan was left behind. She ran with a stream of Chinese people, and did not know where to go until she fainted and was found. Soon she and her stepbrother got married, and eventually had four children. Obaasan became a nurse in a hospital, and worked very hard when she was young. She won the best nurse every year! She always says that she is so appreciative of everything, and she just wanted to work harder in order to pay back for what her dad had done. I asked her once how she dealt with people around her always saying the Japanese is evil since no one knows she is also evil. She did not say any word, and just smiled.

            In my case, it is a lot easier than in my obaasan’s, but sometimes I still feel a conflict inside. My parents’ marriage was not accepted due to my grandparents’ sad background, and it was well known in the whole neighborhood. In my parents’ thirty years of marriage, both sets of my grandparents only met twice. I often feel that something in me does not belong to either side. Because of the well known marriage, many of my kindergarten classmates knew that I was not one hundred percent Chinese. They made fun of me, derided me and called me “gouzazhong”, which means half breed. I used to cry, because no one played with me and I did not want to be different. My grandparents hate the Japanese who joined the war, but they always told me that obaasan is a good woman that I should love, which I really appreciate. They hate the fact that my mom could not marry a Chinese man, but they raised me kindly with all their love. The reason that they only met my father’s side twice is not because they hate my obaasan, but they feel embarrassed that they disagreed with the marriage in the very beginning. They believe it is better for me to spend more time with my grandparents on my father’s side, so they used to send me to abaasan’s house during summer vacation, which I also appreciate. When we moved to Macau, I hid the fact that I have a Japanese grandma, so nobody could make fun of me anymore. However, I knew that was not true, so I felt as an imposter all these years. Now I love who I am, and I forgive all the people who have hateful thoughts that used to surround me. Because of the war, I have two different cultures, and I understand both of them well. This is the biggest advantage as a foreigner living in the U.S. it helps me mingle with people from other countries easily. I never had any hard time to understand another culture. Afterwards, I married a Latino man who understands Chinese culture and is learning Mandarin.

I always believe that there is no right or wrong in history. Each side had its own stand and reason. I felt heart broken when my grandparents shared their stories with me, and I also felt sad when I thought about what my obaasan had seen when she was ten. War brings a lot of sadness to people, so I hope our lives on the earth will be peaceful. There are still many young haters in China; it is like the family feud. They break windows of Japanese cars on the streets and do not buy anything from Japan. Also, they would argue if anyone said that Japan is good. Whenever I see young people act like this, I feel sorry for them. I really wish they could be taught that there is no need to hate when they were young, and that they should stop wasting energy on things that have no significance to their lives. It was the epoch’s fault and the pain of human life’s progression. However, war also makes family closer than ever. Just like the way my grandparents raised me. Hundreds of broken-hearted stories had told, but clearly emphasized that whatever happened was already dead. I thank them for always telling me that no one knows what is going to happen tomorrow, so I cherish everything in my life. In my family, I always feel positive and joyful. I think that the past is the past, and Instead of getting stuck in historical resentments and bitterness, people need to move on and focus on the present.