I moved back home to Oakland yesterday, and I immediately felt the pressure about staying home jobless.
This is what the reality is: people judge you by your job, your title, your income, but seldom your true value within you.

My parents have rarely pushed me about anything, but my grandfather seemed not satisfied with me studying for such a long time and not being able to find a job right after college. He didn’t even know if I was younger or older than my younger cousin, who is two years younger than me. I just graduated this year, but she has been working for almost two years; I guess that confuses my grandfather.

While we were eating dinner yesterday, my grandfather asked me what my next step was. I remained silent. He continued saying that my cousin is now “making money,” and she is younger than me. I replied “If I were in Taiwan, I could definitely get a job, no doubt, but I don’t want to work in Taiwan.” He said “So many people want to come to the US for jobs, and so many people envy legal residents in the US, only silly people want to go back to Taiwan.”

I didn’t talk back anymore. If what he said was true, why would he go back to Taiwan frequently these years? Why wouldn’t my other uncles come to the US having such a wonderful life in the US instead of us coming here? The answer is obvious. The so-called wonderful American dream is not attractive enough for many people to leave their comfort zone.

Yes, being able to stay in the US is lucky, and being able to get education here in the US is even luckier, but, living in the US and making money to support family is not easy. I’m not saying living in Taiwan is easier, but at least it is the place where you were born and raised, at least you have all your friends and relatives, at least when you are sad, you have someone to call and talk secrets in your mother tongue.

Who cares about living in the US? Who cares about being envied by others?


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