What would my immigrant dad make of the mess America is in? (via latimesopinion)
An application for Wilbur Woo's certificate of identity, issued in 1920. It identifies him by his Chinese birth name, Yow Ho, which was changed when he was older, per Chinese tradition, to Kuotung.
Luckily for me, Dad immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1919, when he was about 4 years old. He spent his early years living in various humble homes near downtown Los Angeles. And in the 1980s, Dad, a loyal Republican, set aside his political differences with my brother, Mike, to support his run for Los Angeles City Council. Mike became theon that body, a victory over the prejudice that Dad had spent much of his life trying to erase by reaching out to people who were different from him and showing them they had nothing to fear and much to gain through friendship.
Dad has been gone for several years now; he died at his hilltop Monterey Park home in 2012 when he was 96. Every June since, my siblings and I have gathered for a special dinner to celebrate his birthday, which falls near Father’s Day. For several decades, Chinese were barred from immigrating to the United States under the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Forty years later, a new law was put into place that allowed admittance of 105 Chinese a year. Highly restrictive quotas were applied to every country except for a few in Western Europe whose citizens received 70% of the slots.national-origins system
In 1950, Mom appealed to her senator for help. Richard M. Nixon was moved by Grandma’s suffering under China’s communists and sponsored a special bill that granted her a “non-quota immigration visa.” A year after Mom first wrote to him, my grandmother came home.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
This Tool Means Never Making a Makeup Mess on the Back of Your Hand Ever AgainThe Makeup Hand Palette is a true game-changer.
Read more »
My Dad’s Death Made Me Dread Father’s Day — But Here’s Why I’ll Still Celebrate It“Just because my father is not alive, does not mean I cannot celebrate Father's Day.”
Read more »
'I am not a monster, I simply am Amanda,' says Knox on tearful return to ItalyAmanda Knox returned to Italy for the first time since being acquitted of murder, speaking at a criminal justice event: “I am not a monster, I am simply Amanda.”
Read more »
How to Tell If Your Laundry Detergent Is Messing With Your SkinIt's not uncommon to have an allergy or sensitivity to laundry detergent — here's how to tell if it's truly the culprit and what you can do about it.
Read more »
California passes budget expanding health coverage to some undocumented immigrantsCalifornia lawmakers passed a budget that would make the state the first to extend health care coverage to some undocumented young adults through its Medicaid program
Read more »