Kowloon

Kowloon, 1974

The Walled City

My mother was born in Kowloon, aptly named "The Walled City." Situated in Hong Kong, Kowloon is notorious for being overcrowded, as was the case when my mom lived there for the first eight years of her life. Her, her five sisters, and her parents shared a single room apartment in a "boarding house" style building. All of the families on their floor shared amenities: a kitchen, a common room, and a bathroom.

Like my mother's, most families in Kowloon lived in poverty. Her parents thought that opportunities for their children were limited due to their low socioeconomic status. Many families left for other countries, hoping to find better work, education, and to build more prosperous futures for their children.

My mother's mother

"They [my parents] came here with no money and knew no English" - Anna Yu

My mother's father

Preparing to Move

In October of 1974, my mother and her family packed up one suitcase per person and prepared to board their first ever flight to Boston with no intent to return to Kowloon.

In Boston, my mother had an uncle whom in 1945 had immigrated to the United States under the "paper son system," a method in which prospective immigrants purchase immigration papers from someone already living in the United states. Understanding how hard immigrating is, and also seeing Boston's appeal, he agreed to sponsor my mother's family.

Similar to many other immigrant families, my mother's family sought the education and future career opportunities Boston had. My mother's parents strongly believed that their children would more easily achieve a successful future in the United States. So, they embarked on their somber 8,000 mile journey.