Interview with Yan Tai Lau, March 6, 2019

Partial Transcript: Hi, my name's Kate MacDonald.

Segment Synopsis: Lau introduces herself in this interview on March 6, 2019 at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library.

Keywords: Big city; Childhood; Family; Hong Kong; Villages

Partial Transcript: Why don't you tell me a little bit about where and when you were born?

Segment Synopsis: Lau shares that she was born in 1958 in Hong Kong. When she was a child, she lived in a village on the outskirts of the city with her parents, two sisters, and four brothers. She says it was common for families to have many children, and she lived near extended family until she got married and moved.

Keywords: Big city; Childhood; Hong Kong, China

Subjects: Childhood; Families.; Hong Kong (China)

Partial Transcript: And when you were a child, what did your education look like?

Segment Synopsis: Lau talks about her education and how she graduated from secondary school but did not go to college.

[Note: this segment has a brief interruption due to background noise]

Keywords: Colleges; Education; Elementary schools; High schools; Secondary schools

Subjects: Childhood; Families.; Hong Kong (China)

Partial Transcript: After you graduated school, what did you do?

Segment Synopsis: Lau worked at a transportation center as a secretary. She got the job with help from her husband, who knew the company's boss. She married in 1982 and she started working at the transportation company in 1986, where she worked for about two years.

[Note: The interview moves to a break room to mitigate background noise]

Keywords: Employment; Marriage; Secretary; Transportation centers

Subjects: Hong Kong (China); Occupations

Partial Transcript: How did you and your husband meet?

Segment Synopsis: Lau describes how she met her husband at a Christian church in Hong Kong. Together they have two sons, Yun and Heng, both of whom were born in a village near where her parents live outside of Hong Kong. Lau returned to work after her children started kindergarten. Although she comes from a big family with four brothers and two sisters, she and her husband had two children because "two kids is enough, you know?" She alludes to the "social situation" regarding children, but says that China's One Child Policy did not apply to people in Hong Kong because Hong Kong was a former British colony with different rules.

Keywords: Assembly of God Church; British colony; Childcare; Chinese One Child Policy; Christianity; Churches; Family; Fanling District; Hong Kong; New Territory; North District

Subjects: Children; Families.; Hong Kong (China); Religion

Partial Transcript: And what was it like going to work after having children?

Segment Synopsis: After her children started school, Lau started working again, and she calls herself "lucky" because a friend of hers helped her get a job as a secretary for a district counselor, which was a "good job" that she liked better than working for the transportation company. However, when asked for the friend's name, she says it is a secret.

Keywords: District counselors; Employment; Secretary

Subjects: Hong Kong (China); Occupations

Partial Transcript: When did you come to the United States?

Segment Synopsis: Lau visited Philadelphia in 2008 for a short period. She returned to Hong Kong for work, and then returned to the United States in 2016 to care for her mother- and father-in law. She and her husband originally moved to Kensington but moved to Chinatown in 2017 to be closer to her mother-in-law. The interviewer and Lau also talk about how learning numbers in foreign languages is difficult.

Keywords: Assimilation; Chinatown (Philadelphia neighborhood); Healthcare; In-laws; Kensington (Philadelphia neighborhood); Language learning

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

Partial Transcript: And, do you prefer Kensington or Chinatown?

Segment Synopsis: Lau talks about how she started working as a home health care assistant when she moved to Philadelphia. This was to care for her mother-in-law. Unfortunately, her mother-in-law passed away in 2018. Lau says she still enjoys her work, taking care of other elderly women. She got the job through an agency that provides services for elderly people with low income. She notes that her husband worked at the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC), having first started as a volunteer. At the time of the interview he works at the Independence Library.

Keywords: Ambulances; Employment; Free Library of Philadelphia; Healthcare; Home health care aides; Independence Library; Medicare; Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC); Sirens

Subjects: Families.; Immigrants; Occupations; Philadelphia (Pa.)

Partial Transcript: Do you--who do you live with in Philadelphia?

Segment Synopsis: Lau's mother-in-law passed away on October 24, 2017, and her father-in-law lives in assisted living, so Lau and her husband live in an apartment. In 2009, Lau and her family came to the United States for a brief period, but her older son stayed in Hong Kong to finish college where he studied acupuncture, and since then, he has gotten married and has children. Her younger son lives in South Carolina with Lau's brother-in-law, where he attended some college after finishing high school there.

Keywords: Acupuncture; Assisted living; Children; Colleges; Education; Grandchildren; Home life; Hong Kong (China); In-laws; Nursing homes; South Carolina

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

Partial Transcript: So when you first visited the United States, it was 2008?

Segment Synopsis: Lau describes how she visited the United States for a few months in 2008, and the experience was disorienting because it was so foreign. "It was very hard" and she wanted to go back home, especially because her own family was back in Hong Kong. Now, though, she does not want to move back to Hong Kong because she has grown to love it here. In addition, in Hong Kong it is harder for someone her age, 60, to find work.

Keywords: Age; Employment; Hong Kong (China); In-laws; Language barriers; Strangeness

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

Partial Transcript: When you moved from Hong Kong, was it difficult to find a place to live here?

Segment Synopsis: Lau explains how she was able to immigrate to Philadelphia through family re-unification laws. The application and approval process took about 5 years, and Lau says that is because the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (which she calls 9-1-1) made the immigration process more difficult. Then, after getting approved, she moved to Philadelphia and her first impression was that it was an old city. One of the things that surprised her the most was that there were "many black people," which was a culture shock since she grew up in a mostly homogeneous area. After the paperwork and the culture shock, the most difficult part of moving to Philadelphia was finding work and saving money, but now she is more settled and has job security.

Keywords: Diversity; Employment; Job hunting; Jobs; Public transportation; September 11, 2001; Visas

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

Partial Transcript: What do you like most about Philadelphia?

Segment Synopsis: Lau reflects on her new life in Philadelphia, including her favorite and least favorite aspects. Her favorite aspect is the weather; in Hong Kong, summers can be much more hot and humid.

Keywords: Hong Kong (China); Weather

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

Partial Transcript: When you moved here, did you speak English?

Segment Synopsis: Lau’s first language is Cantonese, and when she moved here her church and social circles were all in Cantonese. She first started learning English through work, and she has also been taking English classes at the Center for Literacy on Market Street for about one year. Her husband speaks English, but she laughs when she says she is not sure how he learned. People in Hong Kong sometimes learn Mandarin, but she says only lawyers learn English.

Keywords: Cantonese; Center for Literacy; English; Language-learning; Mandarin

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

Partial Transcript: So you had--did you have a lot of time to prepare for the move?

Segment Synopsis: Lau is a permanent resident with a green card, but she wants her United States citizenship so she can vote. When asked who she would want to vote for, she laughs because right now there isn't anyone she would want to vote for.

Keywords: Green cards; Permanent residents; United States citizenship; Voting; Voting rights

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

Partial Transcript: When you first moved here, what kinds of things did you bring with you?

Segment Synopsis: When Lau moved to Philadelphia, she brought some clothes, some books, her cellphone, laptop, and some cash. When asked about what she left behind, there is a bit of a language barrier, but she later says she left behind photos because she has photos on her cellphone. Her brother sends her photos from home, which makes her miss her parents.

Keywords: Cash; Cellphones; Family; Hong Kong (China); Laptops; Parents; Photos

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

Partial Transcript: Do you visit your family back in Hong Kong?

Segment Synopsis: About one year ago, Lau went back to Hong Kong to visit her grandson after he was born. She stayed for about 10 days, but while she was in Hong Kong, her mother-in-law passed away, so she came back to Philadelphia, which was "very hard" for her. She reflects on her mother-in-law's passing and how her mother-in-law talked about how she didn't want to suffer. Perhaps God answered her prayers, Lau muses.

Keywords: Death; Family; God; Grandchildren; Hong Kong (China); Hospitals; In-laws; Prayers

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

Partial Transcript: Do you, do you have any friends in Philadelphia? Cause you've talked a bit about your family. Have you made friends here?

Segment Synopsis: Lau talks about how she has made friends through her church, CCCNC, but she cannot remember what all the initials stand for. She calls it the Chinese Christian and Center. They speak Cantonese at the church, and in her neighborhood there are also a lot of people who speak Cantonese. All her friends who have lived here for a long time speak Cantonese and English.

Keywords: Cantonese; Chinese Christian Church + Center (CCCNC); Friends

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

Partial Transcript: When you're not at work, what do you like to do?

Segment Synopsis: When asked about what she does in her free time, Lau replies, "Learning English, and learning English."
Lau also helps take care of her brother-in-law, who lives at a place she calls 801, which most likely refers to Community Behavioral Health at 801 Market Street. Her husband has three brothers in Philadelphia, and a fourth brother in South Carolina. Her brothers-in-law have lived in the United States for over 20 years. Lau's husband did not move with them because the two of them were married, and immigration policy prioritizes unmarried relatives over married ones. Now, her brothers-in-law are all married to Chinese women they met in the United States. One of the brothers moved back to China for a while, but they are back in the United States.

Keywords: 801 Market Street (Philadelphia, Pa.); Chain migration; Community Behavioral Health; Family-based immigrant visas; Language acquisition

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

Partial Transcript: What, so far, is your least favorite thing about the city?

Segment Synopsis: Lau doesn't like how Chinatown and the surrounding area are dirty and she doesn't like the roads, which she describes as "broken," referring to the potholes. She does not drive and does not want to learn because she is afraid; she laughs at the thought of learning how to drive. Since she can walk to work and take public transportation, driving is not necessary. Her husband drives.

Keywords: Broken; Cars; Chinatown (Philadelphia neighborhood); Driving; Potholes; Public transportation; Roads; Transportation

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

Partial Transcript: So no driver's license, um, but you mentioned that you were interested in citizenship. Do you know when you would want to do that?

Segment Synopsis: Lau would like to try to obtain her citizenship within the next 2 to 5 years. There is an organization in Chinatown that can help her learn the material on the citizenship exam, although it is expensive for her. Filling out the application costs $100. Her husband would also like to be a citizen within the next two years. They would like to get their citizenship together. Her son in South Carolina is not a citizen, and she is not sure if he wants to. She suspects her son does not care about the difference between a green card and citizenship, but she herself is excited because voting is her right. She tries to keep in touch with politics, but her English is not yet good enough. She reads Chinese newspapers to stay updated on government policies, and she also watches the news. However, she notes how ABC 6 News has no news, just traffic and the weather. She doesn't understand the president when he talks, but she laughs when she's told that English speakers don't understand him either.

Keywords: Citizenship; Donald J. Trump; Green cards; Language barriers; Naturalization; News; Newspapers; Permanent residents; Translations; United States citizenship tests; Voting

Subjects: Emigration and immigration.; Families.; Immigrants; Philadelphia (Pa.); Politics and government

Partial Transcript: So if you could change one thing about America, what would you change?

Segment Synopsis: Lau isn't sure what she would change about American life, but she thinks that marijuana should be illegal because it is bad for your health. Marijuana is also illegal in Hong Kong. In addition, after watching the news and seeing gun crime, she thinks that guns should be more difficult to obtain. In Hong Kong, no one is allowed to have guns.

Keywords: Gun control; Marijuana

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

Partial Transcript: Was that--were you ever s, scared to move to this country?

Segment Synopsis: After the topic of drugs and guns, Lau shares that she felt unsafe and a little scared when she moved here, but compared to other cities, Philadelphia feels safer. She also says she does not want to move anywhere else in the United States, but she has thought about South Carolina because the houses are cheaper and the environment is better. This section ends with Lau's phone ringing.

Keywords: Crimes; Environment; Housing; Safety; South Carolina

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

Partial Transcript: She's just answering a phone call from her sister real quick.

Segment Synopsis: Lau talks to one of her older sisters, Mary, about once a week. Her sister visited the United States recently, about a year ago. They have a friend who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Lau's brothers have never visited the United States.

Keywords: Brooklyn (N.Y.); Cellphones; Communication; Family; Hong Kong (China); Sisters

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

Partial Transcript: When you talk about Philadelphia to people in Hong Kong, how do you describe it to them?

Segment Synopsis: Lau says that she emphasizes the beautiful rivers of Philadelphia and her wonderful church when she talks to her sister and her brothers. In addition, she talks about how Philadelphia has fewer people than Hong Kong, and Philadelphians are nice, "except Chinese." She explains that when she says Chinese, she means the people from the mainland, who have a different culture than people from Hong Kong.

Keywords: Churches; Delaware River; Mainland Chinese; Manners; Population density; Schuylkill River

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

Partial Transcript: And then I think it's about 7:30 now the library closes at 8.

Segment Synopsis: Lau thinks that moving to Philadelphia has helped her change, specifically in that she has become less shy and introverted. Learning English has helped her express herself confidently and gain confidence.

Keywords: Changes; Community; Confidence; Language acquisition

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