Lin Chang was only 19 when she moved from China to the United States. She had no idea what the universe had in store for her.
“You know, when I came here, like second year, I would be married. So everything's come out and I'm still so young, at that time, I was only 20 or 21, something like that," said Chang.
Chang and her husband lived in Queens and owned a small take-out restaurant. She says the first 5 years were tough. Not only was Lin trying to understand her role as a wife and a mother, but she was also learning to survive as an immigrant, feeling like a stranger in a country where the language and culture were completely different.
What You Need To Know
- According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, in 2021, Anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 342% compared to the year before in many cities, including in New York City
- Stop AAPIHATE says that most of the incidents took place in public places
- Of all hate crimes, 48.1% included at least one hateful statement regarding anti-Chinese and/or anti-immigrant rhetoric
“Oh, for that time is so tough because of, you know, I have to take care of my business," she said. "So, I send my son back to China and my parents were there. So I'm so lucky to have, you know, my parents to help me take care of my second baby. So, he's there, you know, like three years.”
Chang moved north to the Capital Region 10 years ago. Here, she suddenly felt at home in her restaurant, Capital Buffet, and says the area was perfect for her children's education. Most of her family would also move upstate.
“My family all keep going to move down to Albany. Now, we got a big family, you know, in Albany," said Chang.
She adds the community has been good to her small business. And she's enjoyed raising her children in a place where she feels safe and represented. Even though, that might not be the case for every Asian American.
Chang shared, “maybe I'm so lucky I didn't see any hate or some, you know, a situation near me.”