Life in China
Family photo on bench in Hong Kong (1970) Rebecca far right, father and mother far left, grandmother middle, older siblings middle
Everyday Life
Rebecca went to Wa Ying College (High School) and made a number of good friends during her time in school. She also participated in many school activities to occupy her time. She was part of her high school volleyball team, ping pong team, and track & field team.
Rebecca's father supported the family by joining the British Army station in Hong Kong. He drove troop transports until the end of his service. After he became a taxi driver.
Early Life
Rebecca was born in the British colony of Hong Kong in 1966 to a lower-middle-class family. She was the 4th child of 4 sisters and 1 brother. When she was old enough, she started going to school in Hong Kong. Rebecca graduated high school in 1985 and applied to the only 2 colleges in Hong Kong at the time. Because of the low number of colleges, they were highly selective and nearly impossible to get accepted into. Therefore, she was rejected from both. Despite this setback, her family had already been making plans to leave Hong Kong and move to the United States.
High school volleyball team (Rebecca top left)
Location of Rebecca's apartment
Where?
Rebecca grew up in Hong Kong on the island of Kowloon. There she lived with her family, in a one-room apartment that was 10 feet by 12 feet with her family of 8 people, 4 siblings, her parents, and her grandma. Their shower was outside on their porch and their toilet was in a communal bathroom. Her building had hundreds of other families living in it with the same conditions. She and her family felt privileged because their apartment looked out onto a mountain where thousands of people lived in shacks.