From Tainan to Seattle
I always ask my grandfather what it was like growing up with nine siblings in Tainan, Taiwan. He would always reply with a twinkle in his eye - “it was chaotic.” They lived in a small house and his parents, my great-grandparents, were pig farmers. With one dining table and five chairs, they ate their meals in two shifts. Resources were scarce, but he had a clear goal: to do well in school and become a professor and escape farm life. He wasn't interested in science or math. His mind was for literature and history.
Every day, my grandfather walked many miles to school (and yes, he said sometimes barefoot in the snow but I suspect that to be a myth). The path was long, but his determination was longer. He knew education was his way out. His first setback came when he didn’t get into the best high school in his area. It crushed his ego. But he didn’t give up. He got into the second-best high school which was a boarding school that took him far from his family at just 14 years old. I would always marvel at the fact that he lived in a dorm by himself and spent most of his time studying. At his age, my only care in life was my Spotify wrapped and my social life.
His next goal was National Taiwan University, the best college in the country. But despite his hard work, he didn’t score high enough on the national college exam to gain admittance. Still yet, he didn’t quit. He entered the second-best university instead and worked harder still. Eventually, he earned his place at National Taiwan University for graduate school. There, a professor took notice of him and recommended that he apply to the University of Washington for a PhD.
He got the scholarship, and he moved to Seattle with my grandmother, whom he had met and married after a year of pursuing her. After he obtained his PhD, he worked for a large international law firm as a law clerk and was mesmerized by the young, confident attorneys that strutted down the hallways. Although his initial plan was to return to Taiwan to become a law professor, he yearned to become one of these hotshot young attorneys. Against all odds, after one year of studying for the California exam, he passed and became the first Taiwanese attorney to practice law in Southern California. I love hearing him tell this story. My grandfather is well-respected and adored by all who are lucky enough to know him. He is a kind and gentle soul and not prone to chitchat, but he always tells this triumphant story of his achievement of the American dream with a wistful and quite charisma.
-Josephine Wang