Editor’s Note: This is the second issue of a Prep News series called Immigrants of SLUH.  So far, news editor Noah Apprill-Sokol has interviewed over ten members of the SLUH community about their immigration experiences. These stories will be featured in the coming weeks.  This second one tells the story of Chinese teacher Yude Huang, who moved to the US from Taiwan.

Chinese teacher Yude Huang’s journey to the United States has been marked by sacrifice and challenge but is also full of love and hope. Huang, a native of Taiwan, always dreamt of being American, and after 13 years of living in the United States, his dream has become a reality. While life in the United States comes with its challenges, Huang has found his home here with his family and a job he loves.

Huang took the path of getting a permanent green card through his occupation, where he received a permanent work visa. This process involved a lot of paperwork and interviews and required Huang to hire an Immigration lawyer. Huang also had to find someone to sponsor him. It took Huang over 13 years and over $12,000 to get full citizenship.  Huang elevated his green card status and became a full-fledged United States citizen last January.

“It is a lot of money for us, for international people to go through this process, because we don't have much support,” said Huang. “There is a lot of sacrifice involved in this process, financially and the time spent, but also I have had to leave behind my family and friends.”

Although Huang had dreamed of what life in the United States would be like before his trip here, his view was wildly altered when he arrived.

“I knew about America through movies and news, and I had a big picture in my mind, with all the ideas of what it is like in the state,” said Huang. “But ever since I came here, this place is kind of different. Everything you see on the news—it must be different than real life, like, actually, in America. So it's a bit of a cultural shock for me.”

Huang believes that the United States has given him greater opportunities, especially when it comes to raising a family.

“It's a good place for raising my family, my kids here in the States,” said Huang. “Not too much stress, compared to the education and schooling in Taiwan. There is much more freedom for the kids to grow up, and not always in school, to study, study, and study as in Taiwan, or China.”

Still, Huang has often felt judged by his skin, and the Twainese community that he has come to be a part of has also been discriminated against; the Twainese Church he attends in Illinois has been vandalized multiple times. Huang, at times, feels at odds with American culture.

“I feel isolated. We don't really try to fit into this society, so we have to create our place in this society,” said Huang. “This is difficult, and many Asian people have worked for Asian companies because they fit better with the community, but this is my chance to go to work at an American school, to send my kids to an American school, to really learn what the American culture is all about.”

“I feel isolated. We don't really try to fit into this society, so we have to create our place in this society. This is difficult, and many Asian people have worked for Asian companies because they fit better with the community, but this is my chance to go to work at an American school, to send my kids to an American school, to really learn what the American culture is all about.”

Yude Huang

Now, after over ten years of living in the United States, Huang is now starting to call this place his home.

“I would consider this as my second home town, other than my hometown in Taiwan,” said Huang. “I find out everything here is very alone. It's very different from how I grew up in Taiwan. I feel like the United States has a greater opportunity for most people, and this is the place that my children are.”