A path to Toronto

“It was back in 1989, something like that. My sister, the second one, came to Toronto with her family to get their Canadian citizenship. She supported my mom and the young siblings to immigrate to Canada. Unfortunately, something happened in the process that my mom’s medical report got lost and she was denied going to Canada.

My other sister, Ada, who lived in Brooklyn at that time, supported her to come to the States instead. Within three months my mom got her residence status. All the not married children could get the status, including me, because at the time I was divorced. 

After my divorce, I decided to get an opportunity to take my three children out from Hong Kong. I just wanted to be with them in a new environment. To find out where I should be settled down, I went on a tour in 1992. I went to Hawaii, SF, LA, NY, NJ, Toronto. And then I picked New Jersey when I visited your mom, my classmate in the primary school in Hong Kong! I loved the community and environment in New Jersey very much. I couldn't wait for the green card that I decided to come with a travel visa to the US. I enrolled in Bergen County Community College and restarted my school life after 20 years in the workforce. I fully enjoyed my studies in those two years.

Life is unpredictable.I came to know Jesus after I had been in the States. I prayed and followed his direction and my family eventually came to Toronto and settled here for 25 years now.

There were a couple of reasons that my life path changed from New Jersey to Toronto. Financially, I almost used up my savings during the 2-year studies. For legal status, there was no firm date to get a USA green card due to a long waiting list for the Vietnamese boat refugees. Most important, I received a permanent residence visa from Canada at that time!

After all, I got the USA green card four years later after moving to Toronto. No turn back but I missed the happy memories in New Jersey.

Angela
Toronto
as told to Tracie, April 2020