Comparing China and America, I Believe in and Love America

I agree with the author of the article, “I Believe in the U.S., I Have Confidence in the U.S.,” published on Oct. 10 in the World Forum issue of the World Journal: Although the U.S. is not perfect, and sometimes even ugly, people, whether native or emigrated from various countries, love and are willing to sacrifice for this nation.

Sometimes I wonder why there are so many people flocking to the U.S. Especially for Chinese people, there is an endless stream toward America. There is a simple reason why Chinese people leave their country: Most are fleeing from communist rule. Being from China, we are fed up with the communist dictatorship, with political movements one after the other, opposing landlords then anti-capitalists, fighting against the right wing then against capitalists, contending with the counterrevolutionary, fighting selfishness and repudiating revisionism, from the depths of the soul calling for a revolution. Escaping this time does not guarantee escaping the next. Especially for those from lower social classes, the future is unclear. They are being thrown to the wolves with every political movement. Their underprivileged background becomes a punishment.

Coming from a family of landlords, I have been deeply affected, walking on eggshells for decades, being wary of every statement and action. Unlike my classmates who have become part of the political cadre, I, despite working extra hard and feeling untethered, often get the stink eye. I can care less for fame and position, and view these empty recognitions as worthless, but I lack even basic human dignity. Not only do we have to hand over the exploitation history of our ancestors during every political movement, and get dragged into the ring during every fight while obsequiously admitting guilt, but we also have to complete a variety of forms on our background. I am most afraid of filling out the field asking about my family. Once the word “landlord” is written, I become fearful.

I do not know how I managed to endure through the last few decades. Let the past be dead and buried! I caught wind of the start of the tide of studying abroad in the 1980s, and immediately sent my son to the U.S. to study abroad, got him a green card, and immediately moved my entire family to the U.S. I had not reached my retirement age then, but I did not care whether or not the authorities would approve my pension, and simply left for good. I went through customs in Shenzhen, and once the train crossed the Lo Wu Bridge, I suddenly felt relieved, feeling like I had finally escaped from a cage, like I could fly away.

I did not know what human rights were in China, but I understood the value of human rights when I arrived in the U.S. In the U.S., although I cannot speak fluent English, and have a difficult time integrating into mainstream American society, I can live my life standing tall, not having to be at someone’s disposal, not having to tolerate other people’s yelling, and especially not having to servilely report to someone, with endless self-criticism and repentance.

All the Americans I have met have been very friendly. As new immigrants, we had not paid a cent in taxes, yet we could fully enjoy American welfare benefits for the elderly. In China, we claimed to be owners, yet we faced discrimination and could not own homes. In the U.S., we are guests, yet there is not a sense of discrimination. Therefore, I believe in the U.S., love the U.S., and feel extremely grateful toward the American people.