Interview with Bangde "Annie" Fu, March 6, 2019

Partial Transcript: This is Courtney Richards. I am at the Independence Library on March 6th, 2019 with Annie Fu, and today we are conducting an oral history project...

Segment Synopsis: Richards, the interviewer, opens the interview by telling listeners when, where, and who is taking part in the interview.

Keywords: Independence Library; Oral history projects

Partial Transcript: So Annie, um, tell me a little bit about your childhood.

Segment Synopsis: Fu shares that she is from Guangxi, China. She returned for a visit and found it had changed significantly from when she was a child. She has fond memories of going out to restaurants, and playing with friends and cousins at parks. She describes that a playground was almost like a gym. She took art classes and enjoyed drawing and painting in her spare time.

Keywords: Childhood; Family; Friends; Guangxi (China)

Subjects: Childhood; Families.; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China)

Partial Transcript: So what did your parents do for a living, if you don’t mind me asking?

Segment Synopsis: Fu recalls that her father was living in the United States when she was a child and only returned for around a month at a time. She says that the most influential person in her life is her grandmother because she was such a hard working lady, she took care of everyone, and if she set a goal she reached it. She fondly remembers celebrating Chinese New Year, when her family cleaned the house, cooked special foods, and received red envelopes with money. It is challenging to keep in touch with family in China due to the time change; texting is easier for her than phoning.

Keywords: Chinese New Year; Guangxi (China); Influential people; Making a living; Traditions

Subjects: Childhood; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China); Holidays; Immigrants

Partial Transcript: Um, so what kind of education, um, did you have back in China?

Segment Synopsis: Fu says that the schools in China were very big, and you could get lost very easily. There weren't a lot of people to help you in the school, which made things scary for her. Fu describes how she had to be pushed back to first grade when she got to the United States because she she didn't know the amount of information needed for the second grade. She was scared at first because she didn't know English, but she was able to make her way through the day by looking at signs and making friends through the class's buddy system. Despite these difficulties, she made the most out of her transition from Chinese education to American education.

Keywords: Education; English language; First day of school; Friendships; Guangxi (China); Language acquisition; Mathematics; Primary schools; Teachers

Subjects: Childhood; Education; Emigration and immigration.; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China); Immigrants

Partial Transcript: And did you make any close friends when you started going to school here?

Segment Synopsis: Fu shares that she was shy when she started school in the United States and describes the story of how she made her first friend, even though she did not understand what she was saying. She helped her new friend with math, while her friend helped her learn English. Fu explains her belief that friendships are much more genuine here in the United States compared to her homeland.

Keywords: Friendships; Guangxi (China); High schools; Language acquisition; Language barriers; Mathematics

Subjects: Childhood; Education; Emigration and immigration.; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China); Immigrants

Partial Transcript: China to America, that sounds like an incredible story.

Segment Synopsis: Fu recalls the reasons why she and her mother immigrated to the United States. She explains how her relationship with her father was one of the main reasons why they came, but how the relationship between them was a lot different than what she had anticipated. Fu says that her mother was also another big reason as to why they moved to Philadelphia (due to the fact that she thought the jobs would be better here).

Keywords: Guangxi (China); Immigration journey; Job hunting; Opportunities; Transitioning; Transitions

Subjects: Childhood; Emigration and immigration.; Employment; Families.; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China); Immigrants; Occupations; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: Um, and was that an easy transition for you?

Segment Synopsis: Although she was young, Fu recalls her parents having to go through a lot of work (paperwork and checks) in order for them to come to America. She notes that her father was constantly pushed back if the paperwork was not correct or if they needed more paperwork from him, which set the whole family back. Once in America, Fu tells of how she lived in South Philadelphia up until high school, and how she was able to travel to some places outside of Philadelphia such as China, Canada, and California.

Keywords: Documentation; Guangxi (China); Immigration journey; Immigration process; Obstacles; South Philadelphia; Traveling

Subjects: Childhood; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China); Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: What high school did you go to?

Segment Synopsis: Fu describes her high school, Central High School, as a college prep school. She notes that school here was hard for her at first due to the language barrier, but she got used to it and did just fine. Fu says that back home she failed miserably, but after coming to the United States, she started to excel in her classes. She says that there was a lot of homework here, and she had to teach herself sometimes. She says that school wasn't really that hard here if she tried; back home even if she did try, she says she wouldn't have succeeded.

Keywords: Central High School (Philadelphia, Pa.); Education; Guangxi (China); Learning difficulties; YouTube

Subjects: Childhood; Education; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China); Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: So back to the immigration, um, so do you remember what your first day in the country looked like or what you had done that first day?

Segment Synopsis: Fu recalls her first day in Philadelphia. She describes how she arrived late at night, and she was welcomed by family with a lot of food. She talks about the odd things she encountered, such as American food (which included pizza). She notes the preconceived ideas she had about American people before arriving here, such as politeness (and impoliteness) of people, the manners of people here, and how genuine people were in the United States.

Keywords: American food; First day; Perceptions; Preconceived ideas

Subjects: Childhood; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Food habits; Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: As I got older, I went back to China to visit for like two months.

Segment Synopsis: Fu shares the two experiences she had when going back to China (the first on a class trip, the second to her hometown). She explains that she isn't used to the culture anymore in China, which is why she would stay in the United States if given the opportunity to go back. Fu goes on to say that she took a plane with her mother while traveling to the United States.

Keywords: Family; Going home; Guangxi (China); High schools; Homeland; The Great Wall of China; Transportation

Subjects: Childhood; Education; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China); Immigrants

Partial Transcript: Was it kind of weird, like the housing situation?

Segment Synopsis: Fu reminisces on all the oddities she experienced her first night in America, such as the new toilets she had to use, and cereal, which grew to be her favorite food when she got here. She explains that food here was always frozen, and back home that wasn't the case. She was used to eating fresh food and once she got here it was quite an odd experience for her.

Keywords: Food; Guangxi (China); Living arrangements; New experiences

Subjects: Childhood; Emigration and immigration.; Food habits; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China); Immigrants

Partial Transcript: So how did you prepare to come to the U.S.?

Segment Synopsis: Fu describes what most treasured items she brought with her to the United States from Guangxi, including a small Ferris wheel with animals, to which she had sentimental attachment. She also goes on to explain who was in Philadelphia at the time to help them with their preparations. She describes how she and her mother relied on family rather than government or church help to get settled. When asked if she would leave, Fu recounts all the positive experiences she has had in Philadelphia and how that would influence her decision.

Keywords: Assistance; Churches; Government; Guangxi (China); Personal belongings; Preparation

Subjects: Childhood; Education; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China); Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: What had you heard about Philly in advance to coming here?

Segment Synopsis: Fu shares that she knew Philadelphia was historically significant before she arrived and was eager to see monuments and historical sites. In South Philadelphia she felt very comfortable, and she liked that neighbors were out on the street and everyone was friendly. She found living in the Northeast much quieter and finds that the neighborhood is not as friendly or bustling. She likes to go to Reading Terminal Market for fresh foods and because it is far away from her parents. She used to work in Chinatown, but wishes it was larger. She enjoys the food, even though it is not as authentic as in China. She particularly likes a cake available in Chinatown and seeks it out for her birthday. Overall, she feels like Philadelphia has met her expectations.

Keywords: Chinatown (Philadelphia neighborhood); Northeast Philadelphia; Pessimism; Prior expectations; Prior knowledge of the area; Reading Terminal Market; South Philadelphia

Subjects: Community; Emigration and immigration.; Employment; Families.; Food habits; Immigrants; Occupations; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: What challenges did you personally face, um, when coming here, in like the first six months coming to Philadelphia?

Segment Synopsis: Fu recalls the many challenges she and her mother experienced when transitioning from life in Guangxi to life in the United States, including transportation and language barriers. Back in China, she recalls being able to go out by herself without feeling uncomfortable. She even remembers that she didn't have to use transportation in China like she does here to get around. Language was another issue she feels as though she dealt with. She says that she had to learn not only English (which was completely new for her), but also the language her father's side of the family used.

Keywords: Challenges; Guangxi (China); Language barriers; Transportation; Unfamiliar places

Subjects: Childhood; Education; Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China); Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: Um, so tell me about your community here.

Segment Synopsis: Fu describes college life at Temple University as very welcoming and diverse. She explains that she toured and applied to many colleges (University of the Sciences, Penn State Main, Drexel) before she found her new home, which ended up being Temple. She also talks about how she has changed as a person since going to college. She says that she has fallen away from her family tradition of Chinese New Year due to the craziness of college life, and she decided that she did not want to follow her family's religion.

Keywords: College students; Diversity; Drexel University; Hobbies; Lasalle University; Penn State University; Religious practices; Temple University; Traditions; University of the Sciences

Subjects: College choice; College environment; College students--Social conditions; Education; Families.; Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.); Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: So how would you describe America today, um, to people back home in your country?

Segment Synopsis: Fu describes how she would explain her life to people back home. She explains that she currently works at the Independence Library in Philadelphia as well as the Magee Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia (where she helps to manage patient records, and transfers them from paper to computer). She also shares that waking up early and making sure she doesn't miss the SEPTA bus are some of the difficulties she faces while being a commuter student in Philadelphia.

Keywords: Free Library of Philadelphia; Health information management; Independence Library; Magee Rehabilitation Center; SEPTA; Temple University

Subjects: College environment; College students--Social conditions; Education; Employment; Immigrants; Occupations; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: What are the, uh, greatest differences between, you know, your culture back home, do you feel, and Americans?

Segment Synopsis: Fu describes how she sees herself as an American citizen and all the great things that come from it. She says that she has more opportunities here, compared to back home where she felt that there were more people who were more qualified than her. She also feels as though the government is a big help here. She describes how she utilizes every tool she can get, such as Linkedin, to making the most of her time here in the United States.

Keywords: "American Dream"; China; Equality; Friendships; Government assistance; Government help; Guangxi (China); Immigration status; Linkedin; Opportunities

Subjects: Education; Emigration and immigration.; Employment; Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu (China); Immigrants; Occupations; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: So do you intend--I think we might have touched on this a little bit--um, you know, you said you might want to go to Florida or L.A.

Segment Synopsis: Fu says that she plans on staying in Philadelphia for quite some time. She says that she does plan on traveling to a few places around the country.

Keywords: Comfort; Traveling

Subjects: Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: Um, so just a couple more questions.

Segment Synopsis: Fu describes that the thing she dislikes the most is that people just move to different places and leave everything behind. If given the opportunity to change her migration story, Fu says she really wouldn't change a lot, maybe just alter some things. She does say that she wishes she could have come to the United States at an older age, and maybe taken a few different stops to see new things before arriving here. She says that she is hopeful for her future, and the future of America as well.

Keywords: "American Dream"; "American Spirit"; Dislikes; Exploring the world; Immigrants; Immigration journey; Looking into the future; Social media

Subjects: Childhood; Emigration and immigration.; Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.)