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Birth Date: Beijing, China
My name is Pang Tcheou. I live alone with my mother, Cui. My father abandon me and my mother when I was just a few months old. We live a rough life. My mother has to work two jobs to supports us. My mom's only wish that one of these days we could travel to America together to get a better life. She was right we did travel to America for a better life when I was only 8, but we didn't think it wouldn't be as peaceful as we had hoped for. -
The Trip to America
We had traveled for several days until we had reached Angel Island. We went through many tests and procedures. We got out the next day. We found an apartment by the help of a nice man. He told us he would give my mother a job and a home if she justed voted for someone. Life was starting out okay. Our apartment wasn't the nicest thing. We lived in New York City, it was so different from China. We were greeted by man that offered us a home and my mom a job. We agreed to vote for him in exchange. -
The Civil War
As we arrived in America, we had noticed that there was a war going on. I was too young to join it thank the Lord, but I had notice that everyone around was scared and were crying. My mother had to explain to me that a lot of men had to go off and fight. When I asked why she just told me that it's complicated. She told me that we were lucky that I was still a young boy, because if I wasn't I would have to go off and fight too. We never really talked about it after that. -
Railroad Work
We needed money desperately. My mom told me that even thought I was young I needed a job to help support us. I found work at a railroad. I was to bring supplies to all the workers. My job was to bring the workers water and sometimes if there was a big rock or bolder in the way, I would bring them explosives. It was a hard job because if I droped and of the liquid explosives I could have gotten killed. I didn't get paid that much. But I did make a new friend named, Shamice. He came from Ireland. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Years past and I was living on my own. I would sometimes stop by my mothere's house to say "Hello". When she told me that she missed China so she was goig back just for a visit I was sad, but I knew I would see her soon. What I didn't know is that on the day she came back a law was passed. It forbidded any Chinese people to enter America. My mother had forgot her papers staing she was already a American Citizen and wasn't allowed to return. I was left by myself in America with no family. -
Sky Scrapers Were Built
I was on my own now. I needed to get a job. I started working on things called Sky Scrapers. They were big buildings built up to 10 stories sometimes even higher. I had to be careful up there, it was very high up one slip and I would fall to my doom. I worked hard and got more money than when I worked on rail roads, but still little. Everyday on my lunch break I would look out into the city and marvel at its beauty. It was a nice job, but still very dangerous.
