Nominating Organization: Chinese Progressive Association - San Francisco
Wan Qing with her husband, mother, and two children - Simon & Nancy - when they were younger.
Wan Qing with her mother, sister, sister-in-law and nieces & nephews.
Wan Qing with her sister-in-law, mother, and brother (far right), who took care of her son, Simon.
My name is Wan Qing and I am a restaurant worker in Chinatown in San Francisco. I serve food at a deli and manage the counter as a cashier also. When I was a resident of a Single-Room-Occupancy hotel with my husband and two children, I became involved with the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) - an organization fighting to improve conditions for the low income Chinese community. I now am involved with CPA as a Peer Organizer. Two hours a day, I go and talk to other families who are struggling and connect them with important services they need.
I am originally from Taicheng, China. I have not seen my family in China – my brother, brother-in-law, and nephew – for over 9 years. I would like to travel to Toishan, China with my two children and mother to see them because we are having a big family reunion.
I have been in the United States for 15 years. My son was born in 1999 but he was brought back to Mainland China when he was 4-month-old and was taken care by his uncle and auntie so that I could work here in the States. After several months, I was pregnant again with my daughter. I remember there was one time that my son was so severely sick that he needed an operation. All of my family members were really nervous since my husband and I were not there but the hospital needed the parents’ signature to do the surgery. When I got this news, I just could not stop crying and I kept calling my family day and night. My son finally recovered due to the care from my family members. My son came to the States afterward. Each year he shows me the picture of him with his uncle and auntie and asks me when will we go back to Mainland China and visit them. My tears fall down when I hear him talking about how he really misses his uncle and auntie after all these years’ separated.
I have been working as a restaurant worker since 2007. I can only get 4 hours of work per day and get paid $10 per hour, which is not enough in an expensive city like San Francisco. My boss yells at us a lot and is sometimes late paying us. It is difficult to find a better job because I do not know English. I cannot afford the plane tickets to China due to my low-wage job. In a few years, my children will hopefully be going to college but I am still very worried about their tuition - every penny that I have now I save it up for my son's tuition. I try my best to save money but I still cannot achieve my dream to go back to Mainland China with my family.
I hope you can support us and help me, my son, daughter, and mother reunite with our family in Toishan, China after 9 years apart.
FUNDRAISING UPDATE 2/09/15: THIS TRIP IS FULLY FUNDED!
FLIGHT CREW
The Lee/Wilson/Brodie Family
The Lee siblings (two sisters and one brother) are Korean-Americans born and raised in California. Over time our family has grown, with spouses and 6 kids between the three of us. We’ve always been especially close, and now live within 15 miles of each other, making the time to see each other and our parents at least once a week. Family is so important to us, which is why we found Wan Qing’s story so moving and wanted to help reunite her and her family in China. We are thrilled to be a part of bringing the entire Qing family together again and hope that this much needed reunion brings much happiness to the Qing Family.
WOWEE! THE LEE FAMILY HAS FULLY FUNDED TWO FLIGHTS FOR THE QING FAMILY!
FUNDRAISING UPDATE 2/09/15: THIS TRIP IS FULLY FUNDED! AAII!