KIN - CONNECT
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer >
      • LaMP
      • Embrace Initiative
      • Adult English Programs
      • 2nd Home
      • Occasional Opportunities
      • Translate/Interpret
    • Training >
      • Adult English Teacher Certification
      • ELL Teacher Continuing Education
      • Cross-Cultural Seminar
      • Knoxville International Experience
      • Culture Orientation
    • Growth Resources
    • Events & Festivals
    • Other Language Classes
    • Finances & Donations
  • The Network
    • Partner Portal
    • Volunteer Portal
  • Resources for Local Internationals
    • Adult English Classes
    • Immigration & Naturalization
    • International businesses >
      • Restaurants
      • Food Trucks
    • Multilingual Churches >
      • Arabic
      • Burmese
      • Chinese
      • English
      • Kirundi
      • Korean
      • Romanian
      • Russian
      • Spanish
      • Swahili
    • Employment Assistance
    • Healthcare Resources
    • Driving Resources
    • Home Ownership & Money Management
  • Impact Stories
  • DONATE

One Chinese Story

3/24/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
2020 n06
Mei* walked onto American soil two and a half years ago, the bride of a life-long Knoxville resident. She came from China. Here’s an interview with her, edited for length.


1. Briefly explain why you immigrated.
I met my now-husband on the internet. After a few months, we fell in love. He quit his job and moved to China to be with me. Occasionally, we had a hard time understanding each other due to the language barrier, but our relationship grew fast as we shared everyday life together. 
We eventually got married. After my husband had lived with me for 14 months, we decided a move to the United States was better for both of us.
​

2. When you arrived in Knoxville, what was your first impression?

We took a 25-hour flight to Knoxville--the longest trip of my life. My parents-in-law picked us up at the airport. When I saw them, I burst into tears before I could say a single word. I felt like a fish out of water. Everything was so different for me, and I was the only one different from people around. On the way to their house, I saw no buildings, only bungalows. (In China, “building” means multiple floors.) On the road, only cars, no pedestrians, no sidewalk. The most interesting thing to me was the restaurant drive-through. I was like, “You don’t even need to get out of the car to get your food?” I am used to these now, and when I think back, it feels funny that these daily life activities would fascinate me.

3. What do you enjoy about living in Knoxville?
One of the things I enjoy most is the quietness here. I like the country life. Wherever you go, there’s “green” in your sight. I like that you plan your life here because you make appointments for almost everything. The public library is one of my favorite places. One important thing for me about living here, not just Knoxville but anywhere in this country, is that people are free—free to move around and free to express their opinions.

4. What do you miss most about your life in China?
I miss the diversity of Chinese food. I miss that you can walk on the road almost anywhere without worrying about being hit by a car. I also miss the easily accessible public transport.

5. What would you like to say to people who perhaps (a) have never met anyone from China or (b) are afraid about COVID-19?
a) Chinese people are not different from any other nationality, even though they have different skin color, eat different food, and have different habits. The majority of them are nice people, just like the majority of Americans. They deserve to be treated well, just as any American needs to be treated well. The Chinese government (or CCP) is not the same as the Chinese people. Please be aware, the Chinese people do not have as many choices as American people do. They do not have freedom of speech; they don’t know how to get information from outside China, and they don’t understand any language other than Chinese.
b) You don’t need to panic about COVID-19. However, you do need to take it seriously. Practice social distancing and follow the guidelines from the CDC. Watch the news, but not too much. Read the science behind the virus and keep up with the latest research results if you can.

READY TO GET INVOLVED?
Some Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants have experienced increased prejudice since the outbreak of COVID-19. Please DO NOT direct fear or blame toward people who look like they are from East Asia. Some of them have resided in Knoxville all their lives! Now is the time to reach out to our international neighbors and coworkers even more than we did before.

*Name changed for privacy.
(photo by bongkarn thanyakij, from Pexels)
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    IMPACT

    Read the stories of Knoxville's local internationals and the volunteers who have impacted their lives. Get a first-hand view of what it's like to move here and/or to serve those who've moved here from other countries. Discover how KIN has impacted life and culture in metro Knoxville.

    Archives

    December 2022
    October 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    October 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018

    Categories

    All
    Accent
    Adult English Class
    Afghanistan
    Africa
    Asia
    Asylees
    Behind The Scenes
    Birthday
    Children
    China
    Christmas
    Citizenship
    Covid
    Culture Class
    Donations
    Driving
    ELL
    Embrace
    Families
    Field Trip
    Food
    Healthcare
    History
    Home Ownership
    Hospitality
    Immigrant
    Immigrant Heritage Month
    Intern
    Internationals
    INVEST
    Iraq
    KIN
    LaMP
    Library
    Mental Health
    Mentoring
    Middle East
    Multi-cultural Celebration
    Nations Next Door
    Partner Organization
    Reading
    Refugees
    Restaurant
    School
    Special Immigrant Visa
    Students
    Teachers
    Thailand
    Thanksgiving
    Transportation
    Tutoring
    Ukraine
    Venezuela
    Volunteer
    Volunteers
    World Refugee Day

    RSS Feed

About

Why KIN?
​
Our Team
​KIN's History
Statement of Faith
Numbers & Need
KIN in the News

Contact KIN

865.235.1476​
admin@kin-connect.org

Mailing
PO Box 31052
Knoxville, TN 37930
​
Office
6300 Deane Hill Drive
Knoxville, TN 37919
Picture
Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from shixart1985, jonkriz, shixart1985
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer >
      • LaMP
      • Embrace Initiative
      • Adult English Programs
      • 2nd Home
      • Occasional Opportunities
      • Translate/Interpret
    • Training >
      • Adult English Teacher Certification
      • ELL Teacher Continuing Education
      • Cross-Cultural Seminar
      • Knoxville International Experience
      • Culture Orientation
    • Growth Resources
    • Events & Festivals
    • Other Language Classes
    • Finances & Donations
  • The Network
    • Partner Portal
    • Volunteer Portal
  • Resources for Local Internationals
    • Adult English Classes
    • Immigration & Naturalization
    • International businesses >
      • Restaurants
      • Food Trucks
    • Multilingual Churches >
      • Arabic
      • Burmese
      • Chinese
      • English
      • Kirundi
      • Korean
      • Romanian
      • Russian
      • Spanish
      • Swahili
    • Employment Assistance
    • Healthcare Resources
    • Driving Resources
    • Home Ownership & Money Management
  • Impact Stories
  • DONATE