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Zuo Zhilan's Childhood
My family was the richest rice farmers in China. Out in the field Ma and Pa work'n all day. I played with my dolls by the house. I had the dream life until the flood. The storm wiped out our home and fields. Ma ran off with all our money. Pa and I were left to beg on the streets for food next to all the others. When I was 7, Pa heard two guys talk'n 'bout America a new country full of hopes. We left for America for a new life, but our hope was to get our life back. Writen this to experess pain. -
The Big Trip to America, event1
If you are rich then you get to ride on higher level floors. We saved for 2 years, it was enough to get on the second floor. We put in every last penny. I was even lucky enough to go onto the deck of the boat to get fresh air and play. When the ocean rocked the boat I got really sick. I had to lay straight out and stare at the ceiling to get my stomach to relax. Food supply got low at te end of the trip, but we lived. -
Angel Island, Chinese Exclusion Act, event 2
Chinese weren't welcome to the United States, which at the time I didn't understand because America was supposed to be the promise land. It was the Chinese exclusion act. Pa dragged me around, Angel Island was not letting in any Chinese immigrants. We sneaked into the country illegally. We slept in the woods overnight, then by morning we got onto a boat as stowaways. Two days later it was land ahoy! We ran into the country in search of a city. I was scared to get caught. -
Work in America, event 3
My Pa need work, didn't matter where, didn't matter what. We were hungry people who needed food anyway we could get it. He offered to work for very low prices and 7 days a week from dawn to dusk. Never got to see him any more. He was gone all the time. When I was 8 years old he bought an apartment for the two of us. We ate 2 meals a day. We were quickly putting our lives back together. -
Racism, event4
When I really experienced racism is November 23, 1856. There was a group of kids walking down the street toward me. I thought they would just pass by, but I was wrong. They beat me with sticks and stones. They made me hurt, they made me bleed, they made me know that I am lower then them. I layed there, to hurt to even walk. Pa came home and found me in the alley, he carried me back up to the apartments the cleaned out the cuts. He nursed me back to health. -
Family is Coming, event5
My uncles and aunts are coming to America finally. They came for jobs and to escape poverty. We are all going to work together to save up money for a family farm. The only thing is the Chinese Exclusion Act is still in play. We have to make a plan to sneak them in. It isn't as easy as it looks, plus there is more then two people sneaking in. They got on a boat and got to Texas. Pa and I are sneaking onto trains to meet them there.
