Exposed to the United States through Hollywood films, Yongxing developed a craving for all things American. When a business trip brought him here for the first time, his infatuation with our country grew into a full-blown romance, and he decided to relocate. After obtaining green cards for himself, his wife, and his daughter six years ago, his dream was about to come true. His daughter preceded him to do her high school years in Maryland. At the same time, Yongxing stayed in China to bolster his finances. Three years ago, Yongxing burnt his bridges behind him to start a new life in this country. Unable to speak or understand English, he immersed himself in the language. His studies intensified during the pandemic attending 20-25 online English courses a week. You’ll hear how Yongxing’s optimism and determination carried him over the most unexpected and challenging part of his immigrant journey.
Exposed to the United States through Hollywood films, Yongxing developed a craving for all things American. When a business trip brought him here for the first time, his infatuation with our country grew into a full-blown romance, and he decided to relocate. After obtaining green cards for himself, his wife, and his daughter six years ago, his dream was about to come true. His daughter preceded him to do her high school years in Maryland. At the same time, Yongxing stayed in China to bolster his finances. Three years ago, Yongxing burnt his bridges behind him to start a new life in this country. Unable to speak or understand English, he immersed himself in the language. His studies intensified during the pandemic attending 20-25 online English courses a week. You’ll hear how Yongxing’s optimism and determination carried him over the most unexpected and challenging part of his immigrant journey.
Guest Intro/00:39
Exposed to the United States through Hollywood films, Yongxing developed a craving for all things American. When a business trip brought him here for the first time, his infatuation with our country grew into a full-blown romance, and he decided to relocate. After obtaining green cards for himself, his wife, and his daughter six years ago, his dream was about to come true. His daughter preceded him to do her high school years in Maryland. At the same time, Yongxing and his wife stayed in China to bolster their finances. Three years ago, Yongxing burnt his bridges behind him to start a new life in this country. Unable to speak or understand English, he immersed himself in the language. His studies intensified during the pandemic, attending 20-25 online English courses a week. You’ll hear how Yongxing’s optimism and determination carried him through the most unexpected and challenging part of his immigrant journey.
Coming to the U.S./02:04
Deborah: Okay. So tell me, Yongxing, what brought you to the United States?
Yongxing: This is a good question. I have been asked by many people, not only you and, I mean, people in China. They just question me “Why don’t you stay in China? Why you go to the United States?” This is the question that they don’t need me to answer, but I want to answer your question. Many, many years ago, I think 10 years ago, I read, I read a books, I read newspaper. I read something. I was not here. I just I was in China, so I read something. I thought I was American people living in a different style, different difference in our life. I have an opportunity to came in here. First came here in 2012. That in my company my employer offered me a business trip. After that time, I think, “Oh, I needed to move here. I want to move here to spend the rest of my life.” Now I’m fifty-something. So I want to live the rest of my life in the United States. I have been to many other countries in Europe like UK, Switzerland, Italy, but, and I never thought that I wanted to live there. I wanted to live in the United States. I only wanted to live here. I don’t know why.
Why the U.S.?/03:29
Deborah: What is it about the US? Do you have any idea what it was that drew you more than the other countries?
Yongxing: I watched the many movies when I was in China—Hollywood—but most of them are in Chinese language. I know my English language in Chinese subtitles. There are two movies that are my favorites. One is a Forrest Gump the other one is The Pursuit of Happiness. I watched these two movies many, many times in China. I think it’s just different. The United States is just a different country from all the other countries in the world. I think every person has the opportunity to have their own life. That’s more of my thoughts many many years ago. I think at the most that the movie the Pursuit of Happines. You know, a person, a black person, who is hardworking to get her, get his dream job seemed like me. My former career is an investment banker, but my major, I want to call it each other, but a major was not financial. It took me almost 8 years to get to my dream job. I don’t have any financial professional knowledges.
Deborah: What is your dream job?
Yongxing: But do you mean investment banker?
Deborah: That was your dream job?
Yongxing: I got it. So after I graduated from college, I got my dream job. Investment banker. It took me many, many years. It’s very hard. So the movie, just to get some experience so I think the United States can offer people a opportunity to get their own life. So that’s my thought. I just, it’s very, I mean, at that time I was young. Not, thinking too much, so that’s what I saw I wanted to go to the United States.
Deborah: So in China, did you feel that you couldn’t do what you wanted to do?
Yongxing: Not very easy. I think like Forrest Gump, the movie Forest Gump, some kids, like Forest Gump have a mental condition for them it’s too hard. It’s kind of like, I mean, discrimination in the United States people always talk about discrimination, but it’s different from China. If you have some conditions, it’s impossible for you to have your own life. That’s, that’s, that’s very hard. So I think, oh, even a person who has a mental conditions can live their own life. So, perfect. I think that’s a place that I want to live.
Challenges of change/06:08
Deborah: So now that you’re here are things different from Forrest Gump or from The Pursuit of Happiness? Did you feel disappointment when you came? What’s been your experience?
Yongxing: I mean half and half. My immigration process I think that is different than from most of the people you interviewed. I think most the people you interviewed had a hard time but my first part is a little bit easier. My second part has much uncertainty.
Deborah: I mean, can you explain? Give some details?
Yongxing: Sure. You know, my former career as an investment banker—it was a very good job in China. I mean, I got paid very well, so I saved much money so I can get, I can get approved by the United States to move here to have green cards for all my family members. Me, my wife, my daughter, we got a green card six years ago. My daughter went here to Maryland to study in high school and me and my wife still worked in China because we need money to pay many everything—tuition, living costs, my daughter’s tuition, even cost and our own. We couldn’t move here immediately after we got a green card. So we still worked in China. Just three years ago, I think, my daughter will graduate would have graduated in 2016. So I think I can have my own life I will release myself. So it’s time for me to go to the United States. So in 2019, February in 2019, I moved here physically.
Deborah: Did you bring your wife too?
Yongxing: No. Our plan was, I move here first, and then one year later my wife will come. But a 2020 after one year later, 2020, the pandemic came we all didn’t know that but this is one reason among many. But other major reason, just last year, 2021, the second half, I feel like my wife might not want to move here any more. This is a hard, hard part of my immigrant life. So I don’t to mention too much. Just last month, we are divorcing. Not finished but now we are. That’s a hard one for me. So pandemic and the others maybe happen. So now I’m living alone.
Deborah: So now you are a single man now!
Yongxing: Yeah. Yeah. Single man, it’s not always bad. It’s sometimes good. It’s hard. My daughter is in New York City. Now she is in grad school. She will graduate this year. Yeah.
Missing China/09:26
Deborah: What do you long for? What do you miss about China?
Yongxing: Actually, I was still missing my wife and then my parents and the food, Chinese food.
Deborah: Are you becoming a citizen? So that you could go back and forth?
Yongxing: Sure. Last year, August, I became a citizen of the United States. But for now, one thing even worse, the two countries has been the two countries, bad at relationships. That’s the thing I didn’t, I didn’t know before.
Deborah: That’s complicating things very much for you.
Yongxing: Medical or other, maybe others. I don’t know about. It’s hard for me to go to China to visit my parents. They will not give United States citizen a visa. No, that’s impossible now. Maybe if several years later I can go. I need to get a visa to go to China maybe.
Working in the U.S. & Learning English/10:29
Deborah: What kind of work are you doing now?
Yongxing: That’s a good question. Three years ago, when I moved here—I studied English when I was in middle school, high school, but at that time, it was only writing and reading, no speaking, no listening. So three years ago when I moved here, I couldn’t understand, I couldn’t speak. But I found out that something—there are so many adult programs, I mean, ESL classes around the greater Boston. So I went to education center in Malden. I don’t know, there were many classes around me, but I went to Malden. A madam asked me, “Where are you from?” And I said, “I’m Brighton, I’m from Brighton.” “Well, that’s the very far from our center. I will give you some information that there are many classes near nearby you.” So she printed several pages, information for me. There were so many classes around me I didn’t know. So I started to apply for ESL classes but in 2019, there were long waiting lists and I didn’t get even one and I waited for several months. I got a one in my community, Brighton—Jackson Mann Community public school. I got in that one. So I had started to learn English. But in 2020, every classes went to online, Zoom. It’s bad, but not bad for me. I found after several, several months, it’s good for me because I can take it more on the more classes one week. But before I only take three classes one week. But in 2020, every week I took 20 to 25 classes.
Deborah: Oh my God! You speak so well. That’s amazing for three years, being here three years. You speak extremely well.
Yongxing: That’s why I, I appreciate it. There are so many people, so many classes helped me to get here. In last year, I think in April, April, last year, I got my first part-time job school crossing guard.
Deborah: That’s what you’re doing now. You’re a crossing guard?
Yongxing: I just resigned the last two weeks ago. So I said many people helped me for my English study and to find a job and, you know, Michelle from the Gardner Pilot Academy. One day told me she sent me an email, she said, “I have a job. I think you are fitting very well.” I said, I asked, “Really? Are you sure?” So she offered me a position as a community ambassador in Brighton. It’s another part-time job in Brighton as community ambassador. I just had a meeting this morning.
Community Ambassador/13:38
Deborah: What do you do as a community ambassador?
Yongxing: The role of the ambassador is to collect opinions or thoughts of our neighbors if there is some developer who wants to build some residential building or commercial buildings, “What’s your opinion?” “Do you like it, or you don’t like it.” So we collect the thoughts to send it to maybe the mayor or the counselors. So like the developer to not only build a fancy building, you needed to benefit the current residents. So we just do that. And we have a meeting how to benefit our neighbors. That’s affordable housing grants basis and a reliable transportation.
Deborah: And did you interview people online or did you see them in person?
Yongxing: We just started. It’s a new program called People’s Planning Initiative. We just started one month ago. Tomorrow we will have a meeting. There is a project will be performative by the Harvard University/Allston. There is a project called ERC. They will build a huge commercial community in Allston. So that’s so many people concerned. So tomorrow we will have a meeting.
Deborah: You’re going to get so much practice with your English. My goodness.
Yongxing: So for the crossing guard it doesn’t need to talk, right? Just gather kids to cross the street. Just small greetings like, “How are you?” “I’m good. I’m fine.” “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” Just like that. But as ambassador I need more. I need more excuse to talk. That’s a very huge challenge for me. So I am practicing how to talk.
Deborah: Constantly using your English. That’s fantastic. Really. That’s good. And your smile is very engaging. I think people want to talk to you.
Yongxing: Yeah, I think that the kids like me. Every morning, every afternoon when they are releasing. Just last month, I got another job—FedEx as a package handler. I wanted to keep the three jobs at the same time, but, two weeks ago I found, oh, I can’t do it because for the crossing guard I will never be late to get there. You know the kids are crossing and won’t be there. That’s horrible. Right? So the time is essential. So I do all the same. I mean to do the three jobs is just too rushed. So I have to decide which job I want to keep because a package handler job gives me options. I can work part-time or full-time. So I think they will give me benefits three months later, but crossing guard is a small part-time job with no benefits. So I think I need benefits. And, additionally last a year I enrolled in a program in Bunker Hill Community College. I started to learn a major named paralegal.
Deborah: Wow!
Yongxing: So I need more free time. So I have to quit one, at least one job. So I quit the crossing guard because time is essential. I can’t be late.
Studying to Become a Paralegal/17:26
Deborah: So you’re enrolled in school?
Yongxing: Yeah.
Deborah: Bunker Hill Community College.
Yongxing: Yes.
Deborah: Wow!
Yongxing: I wanted to become a paralegal but it’s hard. I wanted to become because for the immigration. Paralegal worker, I mean as an assistant, the lawyer or attorney who prepares something. But after one year study, I think because that needed more talking, maybe native speaker or local people have been, I mean people have lived here maybe 10 years, 20 years because I know even, in Chinese, when we talking, that doesn’t mean, literally. There’s something behind the talking. If you are not a native speaker, you could not understand that. So as a paralegal, when I have a conversation with some people they need help who need help I might not understand what they really mean.
Deborah: Are you saying that it isn’t just the words that people say to you, but there are emotions and feelings underneath the words? And that you feel that your language skills aren’t up to that yet? What about working with Chinese immigrants as a paralegal? Have you thought about that?
Helping Everyone, Not Just Chinese/18:45
Yongxing: That’s no problem for me, but I was another thing I want to [say]. I mean. Three years ago you know there are so many Chinese people living here. Yeah. Right. My English was just so poor. I could not understand, I could not speak. So many Chinese friends told me, “You don’t need to study English. So many Chinese people here you can just talk Chinese. There are Chinese restaurants, the Chinese grocery, many Chinese people. We can live together. Don’t need to study English.” But after a while, I saw that I would not apply. If I only always the speaking Chinese, I will stay in China. So I want to study English. I want to understand the people. I want to be understood by people. So I think I probably would not like to work only to Chinese people. I work too, maybe Spanish or are people from South America or Africa, maybe other countries. So that’s what I think I needed to study English.
Deborah: Do you miss your dream job of investment banking?
Yongxing: No. I worked as an investment banker almost 20 years. Why? I just got bored. So, I didn’t think I wanted to work as an investment banker in the United States. Then not only get bored, another thing then what would be the lessons as a professional.
Deborah: What’s your dream job now?
Yongxing: My dream job now is just to make a living. I think physical jobs could fit me very well. So for package handler, crossing guard, I can work very well, but, if I need deep talking, that’s I think that’s more hard.
Feather in Your Cap & Other Idioms/20:40
Deborah: But you’re doing well. The fact that you’ve been appointed an ambassador and it’s an actual job. As they say, “It’s a feather in your cap.” Have you ever heard that expression before? It’s an idiom. It means that the feather goes into your cap means, you know, it’s almost like a reward. It shows that you’ve made a huge accomplishment to get a feather in your cap. It means people believe in you and you’re getting promoted. It’s a feather in your cap.
Yongxing: Oh, thank you for letting me know that. Actually, I learned idioms from two teachers in Newton Free Library. In one year, I never heard this idiom.
Deborah: What are some of your favorite idioms?
Yongxing: Oh, there are huge numbers. I, I can’t count of all of them for me, but I learned something relative to my life. In China people always say, “You should not, you should never burn all the bridges behind you.” But in the United States, people say “You always want to have a plan B.” But I grew up the life in two ways. I burned all the bridges behind me before I came here. And I didn’t have plan B that American people say you always want to have a plan B. So burn the bridges behind me is idiom. Another thing is “No Spring Chicken” is harder to turn over a new leaf, but I tried. I’m trying to make lemonade from lemons.
Deborah: You know lots of idioms. You know the true meanings of them.
Yongxing: Yeah. These are really relative to my new life. So I don’t need to remember that when I heard that. Oh, I remember that. That’s my life I see are the one. I read a book. There is a sentence in that book, it says “The older you are, the younger you will get when you move to the United States.”
Deborah: Where did you read that?
Yongxing: It was really a touching story. At the beginning I did not understand that. After I finished the story, oh, that’s what that’s what it means. So I’m a fifty-something. The older I am. So when I moved to the United States, I needed to learn everything. The language, the culture, the people, the environment. I can be like a newborn baby, so that the older I am, I get younger I get. When I moved to the United States this is a really touching story.
Plan B/23:27
Deborah: [Did you]bring anything with you from China? Some object or something that you would take with you anywhere, maybe something that even goes in your pocket, anything?
Yongxing: Actually our plan was to bring everything to the United States. You know, we have money in China. We have our apartments in China. You know, over the years, the housing in China just goes up so high. Right. It costs huge money. But, just last year, I felt like my wife might not want to move here. So I, we can’t do that anymore. So I think I needed to restart my life. So that’s that turnover a new leaf. So I didn’t bring almost everything here. Because my wife said after you move here, after one year, I will come, but now she didn’t come. She will not come. So I think I left most of the things in China. Now I started my plan B—to start the work. Last year I found a crossing guard job, and then last month I found a package handler and I started to work as an ambassador, community ambassador. Maybe if my language skills improve, maybe I can work as a paralegal. Maybe several years later. But I think I will. I can. Maybe it just needs time because just the two or three years I think my English gotta improve.
Optimism in the Face of Disappointment/25:09
Deborah: How do you account for your, your positive, your optimism? You’re very upbeat and positive about your life. Having to start it all over again and, and you know, some disappointments that your family didn’t follow.
Yongxing: Sometimes I pretended to be positive. When I started English, I forgot everything else. I always study, study. But when the classes is the over, actually, at night when the surrounding gets quiet, so quiet, I recall many things I had in China. Is very, I mean tragic, so hard. Actually I pretend to be happy, to be positive.
Deborah: There’s another idiom. Well, it’s not quite it’s, there’s an expression in English and you may have heard it. It says, “Fake it until you make it.” Have you ever heard that? That’s what you’re doing. Fake it till you make it. You’re pretending to be happy and upbeat. So you keep pretending it and you become that. That’s the expression. “Fake it until you make it.”
Yongxing: Yeah. Fake it until you make it. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Learn a new one. So what drove me to study English I think this is the life I wanted to have. That’s why I wanted to go to the United States. I needed to make my own living, but I don’t complain, I don’t blame my wife. I, we made our own decision. We each other has made our own decision. What I mostly regret was we didn’t make clear the meaning to move to the United States. Maybe we have different ideas in my mind. We didn’t it speak very clearly. That’s what I most regret.
Deborah: Were you saying that your idea of moving to the United States was very different from your wife’s idea of moving to the United States and you regret that you didn’t have a conversation to clarify the differences?
Yongxing: Yes. That’s what I want to say. Yes. Yes. That’s true. So just last year we all were clear that my wife didn’t want to. I can’t go back. I don’t want to go back. I can’t go back. So that’s the thing. Now I’m here so.
Advice/27:52
Deborah: What would you tell somebody? Another immigrant that you wish you knew before you came here, if you were going to give advice, but based on what you’ve learned since you’ve been here. What might you say to somebody who maybe has a similar dream that you had? What advice would you give?
Yongxing: I really didn’t think that. If I, if I want to say, I say, if you have a dream, just to move on, leave your old life if you want. You live your own life. You walked, it’s hard. Oh, I have another quote I learned. I mean when I was in China. It was a hard time. I was still thinking about my future is uncertainty, but I think I will be good. A quote I want to say is, I think it was said by the president of the United States. “We do things not because it’s easy. We do things because it’s difficult.” It’s not a complete quote.
Deborah: Kennedy said that. That was his famous quote about getting to the moon.
Yongxing: Yeah. It’s a famous quote, but to be reality, I mean, seems always. It’s easier said than done, right? So it’s difficult, but we needed to figure out try our best to, to figure out something. And that’s what I wanted to do.
Self-Coaching & Tennis/29:25
Deborah: Aside from your professional goals and dreams that you might have now, what other, dreams or ambition do you have about your new life here in the United States and in Boston?
Yongxing: I didn’t bring any material object to the United States, but I think I have some skills. I call it self-coaching. My major was not a financial, but I got a job as an investment banker. 10 years ago, I learned to play tennis. I self-coached myself. I didn’t hear any coaches. I watched videos to learn how to play tennis. So that’s a hobby. As you came to the United States, I play tennis—two to or three times in one week. Even now last week.
Deborah: Where are you playing tennis?
Yongxing: Everywhere possible. In Newton, in Brookline, Brighton and West Roxbury, Wellesley, Weston, Waltham. Anywhere possible I will go to play. Last week and even this week. Wednesday I will play with another guy.
Deborah: In an indoor court?
Yongxing: Outdoor. Outdoor.
Deborah: Just around the corner from me is a beautiful building. It’s on Hemenway Street and it’s indoor tennis courts. And I believe that people who play for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, that it’s kind of a private club for them, but I don’t know if it’s open to the public. But, giant indoor tennis courts are on Hemenway Street.
Yongxing: Hemenway St. So for me I can play all through the winter just if no snow covering the courts. I can play. No problem. And it’s free. So no problem. So are these free no need to pay the court fee.
Deborah: Who do you play with?
Yongxing: American people. American person. I think probably he’s 65 years old, 65 to 70s, 65- years old.
Deborah: One person. And you play with him everywhere?
Yongxing: Everywhere. Yeah. But in summer season, fall season, I play with other people because other people don’t want to play in the winter.
Deborah: How did you meet this tennis companion?
Yongxing: That’s a very good question. I remember in 2020, I think in it was Memorial Drive. I play tennis. I play tennis with a wood board. And a person behind me asked me, “Would you like to play tennis in the court?” I turned around and see, oh, the old the person. I said, sure, I wanted to find a person, but it is harder to find a person who wants to play tennis. So that’s the first time we met. So after that time we schedule two or three times one week to play tennis.
Deborah: That’s fantastic.
Yongxing: That’s been one and a half years.
Deborah: That’s fantastic. I love talking to you. You’re so upbeat. You generate a very good, warm, friendly feeling. I think you’re going to be a great ambassador.
Yongxing: Thank you for saying that. That’s really encouraging me to do my job.
Deborah: And I’m very impressed with your language skills. You’ve done amazingly well, really, really well. You’re have somewhat of an accent, but it’s so easy to understand everything that you’re saying. That’s terrific. Those 20 classes a week in 2020 paid off for you.
Yongxing: Yes. Yes. Otherwise it’s due to the pandemic.
Final Thoughts/33:49
Deborah: Is there anything else that you’d like to say in this interview that maybe some other immigrant might hear it and that you could encourage them or anything you want to say to any of the listeners who will be listening to your episode?
Yongxing: I think I have many things I want to talk about. I want to say if you want to talk with me later after my English gets well and well, I would like to talk to you to share my experiences as a new immigrant. That’s what I want to do because I mean, I got help and support from the local people and many education programs. I think that’s a kind of giving back. I can say something for new people. Newcomers. New outsiders. That’s what I want to do. So if you, I will be a pleasure to do that.
Deborah: That’s a great offer, to friendship and help new immigrants adjust. And also just to have conversation, you’ll get plenty of practice.
Yongxing: Yeah. Practice. I see this conversation as an opportunity to practice my English.
Deborah: Thank you so much, Yongxing for this interview. It’s been great talking with you. I look forward to getting to know you even more and hearing all about your adventures. Thank you so much.
Yongxing: My pleasure. Thank you for having me talk with you. Thank you.
Wrapping up/35:34
Focus, determination, and patience are words that characterize Yongxing as he builds his American life. While he continues to spread his optimism and good cheer, his English competency grows along with his circle of new friends. Whether a package handler, a community ambassador, or a paralegal to help fellow immigrants, YongXing will be successful as he spreads his good cheer to all he meets.