What I Thought After A Bus Ride | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

What I Thought After A Bus Ride

17
What I Thought After A Bus Ride

On my way back home this weekend, I met a Chinese woman in her late 30s. She sat next to me on a bus going to Coney Island. Her husband, who looked like in his 40s, was standing holding their 3-year-old daughter. The bus was a little crowded in the front so the husband and their daughter moved to the back where there were a few seats.

The woman asked me if she needed to transfer at 8 avenue in Brooklyn for the train to Coney Island. I told her that she could stay on the bus and didn’t need to transfer because the train wasn’t running this weekend. She thanked me, and said she couldn’t understand the other woman who was speaking to her in Cantonese.

Our conversation began. From 53rd Street to Bay Parkway, which was about 20 minutes’ bus ride, she shared her values and views about living in the U.S. with me. Even though she is a stranger to me, I could feel empathic to a lot things that she said.

She told me that she stayed in New York City for now because she’s waiting for her Green Card. Her husband first came to California and was working in a restaurant a few years ago. He got his Green Card through asylum. Now, he is helping her with the application. She advised me not to stay in the U.S. through asylum because there would be many limitations if I go back to China one day and work there. Her look turned to her young daughter sitting in the back of the bus and then told me that she would go back to China once she gets her Green Card because she would live a comfortable live back home and send her child to a better school.

“My child is still young and I don’t want her to receive the fundamental education here,” She said. Contrary to many Chinese immigrants who came to the U.S. in hopes that their children will receive the first-class education in the U.S., she said she would rather her daughter to grow up in China.

“Why is that?” I asked.

“If you live with some of the kids who were born here and know their situations, you would know that some of those kids were not truly happy,” she said. “Their parents had to work a lot and didn’t have enough time to care for them. They didn’t grow up in a family where they got enough attention that they needed."

Growing up in a family where my parents always have high expectations for me, I could understand the reasoning behind a rigid Chinese parenting. In China, it was quite common to see a small kid juggling between different classes outside their normal schooling. Parents would go to great lengths to equip their children with enough skills while they are still young, such as sending their kids to piano classes, calligraphy classes, drawing classes, etc. They were doing so for fear that their kids would fall behind than other children in China.

“I am doing china business in China and it was pretty good. I have my own house, but here, I have to share a small space with others. Compared to many Chinese immigrants here, I have a choice. If I don’t like it here, I can always go back," she continued.

This reminded me of a popular question. “To here or to go?” It is probably mostly heard in a restaurant. However, it is a legit question that many foreigners have asked themeless sometimes. Should I go back home? Or should I stay here?

It is a hard question, a life choice and an attitude that reflects our current state of living. Unlike decades ago when the first round of Chinese immigrants settled down in the U.S., many students from middle-class families now come to the U.S. for school. As a result, the immigration trend turns from labor intense to intellectual labor. Many international students chose to stay here after graduation because they can get a well-paying job and live a decent life. At the same time, a number of them did go back to China after a few years of working in the U.S.

Life is about making choice and so does happiness. To here or to go may not be that important as long as a person is satisfied with his or her status quo. Education empowers us in a way that can make us make choices on our own and pursue a happy life that we truly enjoy. In that sense, where do we live? Why does it matter so much?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

180967
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

7895
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

452973
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

23583
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments