My dad, Will Huang, was born in Nantong, China. He and his family lived a simple life, but just like everyone else in China at the time, they had little freedom to choose their own paths. After my parents met, it wasn’t long before they moved to the states to gain more freedom from a world where things were assigned, not chosen. My parents left their only homes they’ve ever known behind to attend graduate school at NC State. They were scared, they were young, and they were hopeful for the future.
Like any other immigrant, my dad anticipated the differences in American culture. However, even though he was completely fluent in English, he had never been exposed to the southern accent. He had to call the administration of NC State the night he arrived, to finish up the immigration process. It was frustrating and terribly confusing for him to understand what the lady on the other side was saying because English was his second language, and her strong, southern accent felt like a whole new language. What was supposed to be a 3 minute call, soon turned out to be a 30 minute call.
On just his fourth day in the country, my dad received a warm welcome from Hurricane Fran. That morning, when he woke up, he was completely shocked to see the refrigerator floating in the middle of his room. My dad and his roommates already didn’t have any place to eat or cook as their new home was flooded and all roads were blocked. However, he realized he was surrounded by people just like him and they all got through this together. If he could get through this, he could get through all the other challenges a foreign place could bring. Suddenly a big and overwhelming place didn’t seem as big and overwhelming anymore.
Will Huang came to the states with only $600 in hand. He learned to live frugally and continued to work hard. After two to three years of long nights and endless meals of ramen, he finally graduated with two PHDs. All his hard work had finally paid off.
Now, he lives in Cary with his wife and two daughters. He’s still best friends with those very first people he met 20 years ago. He is the owner of a startup company and continues to work hard and live the American dream. My dad has no regrets.
