Mei Yu Huang: “In China there are no elections…[don’t] take voting for granted.”
![](https://www.newamericanscampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Mei-Yu-Huang-1600x1216.jpg)
Mei Yu Huang first came to the United States from Taishan,
China, on the coast of the South China Sea. This conversation was translated by
Allen Wong.
I came to the United States 22 years ago from Taishan, in
Guangdong province. I came looking for a better life. I have three children. My
second daughter sponsored my husband and me and we lived with my daughter for
our first eight years in Chicago, in a three-bedroom house. It wasn’t easy. I
could not speak any English, and it was very difficult to get around. I found
work here as a tailor, and today I am retired.
My three grandchildren were born here. They are citizens,
but they are too young to vote. When
they are older, I will tell them that in China there are no elections. They
shouldn’t take voting for granted. I wanted to become a citizen so that I would
be able to vote. I wanted to vote for the president, for the governor and for
the mayor. I want to be prepared, and to help choose good ones.
I became a citizen 17 years ago. I studied for the
citizenship test with the help of the Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA)
where I learned some American history and I learned about living in the United
States. Learning the language was the hardest part. I studied very hard. I
listened to English language tapes for 8 months, staying up every night until
midnight to study. I took the test in English and I passed it. I am still
taking ESL classes. The CMAA teachers are very good.
As I told my cousin, don’t be nervous, don’t be
afraid, join the citizenship classes, and become a citizen. My cousin said if
it had not been for me pushing him, he might not be a citizen today. When I was
sworn in as a U.S. citizen, I was very nervous, but I was also excited and
happy. The first time I voted I went with my husband to the Truman College in
Chicago with the CMAA students for early voting. The United States has given me
freedom. As a citizen now, I feel a responsibility to make sure we have a good
government.