In 1965, My Father named Ker was born in Lous and my Mother named Mee was born in Thailand. They both got married and lived in Thailand. They’re very hard labor workers that spends most of their days harvesting crops and feeding their farm animals and they hope that one day that they get children and become successful in life and someday wish to become rich so they can provide things required for their children later on so that the children will be prepared to face the reality of the world.

My Mother and Father left due to the infamous Vietnam war. They never really expected much before coming to the United States, but had the idea that life over here is harder than life back in Thailand because of the advanced Technology and the laws and system of how the North works. They could only imagine how hard life is once they arrive because they don’t have privileges like original US citizens have.

They escaped by riding on a bus to the Airport and flying over the border and some Hmong citizens stayed back and fought with the Americans and they managed to escape, the ones that crossed the border that is. As soon as they arrive and jumped in the plane, they can see their whole land being destroyed by fire and explosions and thinking how they’re going to rebuild their new community while crying loud as they view this atrocious event from above.

“When we arrive in the US, what are we going to do?” Mee asked worryingly

“We’re going to follow their law and do what they tell us to do” Ker said confidently

As they arrive in America, Wiping their tears and thinking how they’re going to continue life on this new land and how are they going to earn money in this part of the world to be able to survive and nurture their children. Before they arrived in America, they met up with the rest of the family on my Father’s side and Mother’s side in the airplane. Along the way towards America, they’ve seen the beautiful view of the ocean and other cities almost nearing their destination and when they arrive, they got their green card.

Receiving money from the Government and renting a house large enough for  nurturing a family. At first, the house was empty and there was almost nothing in there, but back in Thailand, they had very small houses made of dried bamboo and dry wheat straws. After Ker got a job, he didn’t have enough money to buy a car and every single day, he has to wake up very early to walk to work and sometimes some people would try and mug him on the way to work. Ker doesn’t know how to speak English, but soon he went to school to try and improve his literacy and his development of the English language and after awhile he was able to understand the English language very well even though he’s not fluent. Later on, Ker would teach his wife Mee on how to speak English and soon it wasn’t too long until they had their first son named Mae. He was born in the United States and his English name is called Matthew.

“What are we going to get? What are the things required to live out a life as a Family?” Mee asked

“We’re going to need a car and food to be able to feed our son as well as teach him the ways of our Ethnic group” Ker replied

After about a year, Ker has saved up enough salary to buy himself and the rest of the family a car and so that he can drive himself to work and go to the grocery store now because he has a transport. Like in Thailand, The husband would go to work and the wife would stay home to clean, cook, and babysit the child. They did this for awhile until Mee and Ker started having more babies and sooner or later, they would start to put Mae in Grade school.

When they started to rebuild what they have lost, they came to visit the rest of the family to see and check how they’re doing, but unlike in Thailand; They live further away from each other and more spread out. As soon when they arrive, it seemed like everything was going well and life was better here than back in Thailand.