-
my birth
I was born on june 2nd to a single mother who put me up for adoption. At the orphanage there was a rule that if you turned 15 and you were still not adopted then you were sent out on the streets. I turned 15 and had no p;ace to go. I lived in a small park for a few weeks, sleeping under a willow tree. I heard of an immigrant ship that was leaving the next day to go to angel island. I decided to go. -
the voyage to america
The ship was cramped and dirty. The conditions were bad, and a few people died on the way to america. I was so happy when I saw land on the horizon. There was a mad rush to get off of the ship when it came to the dock, and i was near the back of the line. It was very diffucult to get off without getting trampled. -
Angel Island
As soon as we arrived on land, I realized that we would not be treated here like we were in china. The medical examiners kicked us around and showed absolutley no respect for us as human beings. Once we were examined, I expected to be let onto the main land. I was wrong, they only let the first hundred people that came through the gates go. Something about chinese exclusion. -
"Boarding" on Angel island
As I stepped into the dormitories, i suddenly regretted coming to america. They locked us up like prisoners, in cages that were fit for animals. I was trapped in these ''dorms'' for 6 months, before i was admitted into the U.S.A. -
Finding work
I arrived im san fransisco off of ellis island in september 1889. I was homeless, and needed a job. I went to all of the local resturants and asked for work until i reached a small bakery on the corner of a main street. I talked to the owner in what little english I knew and landed a job. I was earning not much more than a dollar a day, but it was better than nothing. The owner offered for me to live with him until I found my own place and i accepted. He was a kind man. I finally had freedom.
