Interview with Kent Yu

Kent Yu is a first generation immigrant who came to the US for college. After his father came to the US many years ago to see what it is like, Kent wanted to live in the US with his wife and daughter. China was in the middle of a crisis at the time because of the instability caused by the cultural revolution. Kent was an engineer working in a Chinese factory, but felt as though despite his hard work, there wasn’t opportunity to further his career in China. In 1990, after China reopened its borders, Kent decided to immigrate to America and go to Mississippi State for thermodynamics before transferring to the University of Maryland. Immediately after moving to the US, there were a lot of financial issues for Kent because the money he made in China was of little worth here. When working as one of the top engineers in a Chinese factory his salary was around 50 RMB or about 20 USD per month, since everything in China is very inexpensive, living off of that meager income was doable, but outside of China, this money was simply not enough. The monthly salary at a Chinese factory was only about enough for a day's meal here in the US, let alone pay for his tuition, housing, bills, etc. In Kent’s eyes the number one success is to survive and keep the family well. This can be achieved when one realizes that everyone has their own potential, and everyone should all use that to their advantage. Kent came to Michigan after graduating from Maryland to start living with his family, and for job opportunities. He came to Greenville with his daughter and wife, but later moved to Forest Hills. He believes parents need to give kids guidelines and teach them right from wrong. Parents need to set boundaries and tell them how to behave. When his father came to the US for the first time, he told stories about people being strange around him. No one discriminated against Kent or his dad, but there were some times where there were weird moments with certain individuals. Kent firmly believes that most discrimination now in the US can be avoided if you prove you are hard working and valuable. We sincerely thank Mr. Kent for allowing us to spend some time interviewing his experience of immigrating here.