Meet Our Students!
Spring 2012 Semester
My name is Amy Tang. I came from Hong Kong, and I've been in America for one and a half years. I am studying at Emma Lazarus High School. I am still trying my best to adapt and learn the American culture. I like sports. I favor swimming, and I also like playing basketball, table tennis and volleyball. I like music too. I like playing the violin. Playing sports and the violin are the best ways for me to relax. I like the Shared Stories program because I can learn more about Asian immigration history and the Asian American community. I think it is important to know more about my nation's history. Also, I am happy to share ideas and opinions with mentors and mentees who have different backgrounds from me.
Hi, my name is Ann Tang. I am a student at Emma Lazarus High School. I came from Hong Kong, and I have been in America for one and a half years. My favorite activities are swimming, running and drawing. In my free time, I prefer to watch movies and listen to music (especially k-pop). I am a numismatist; I have pursued my hobby of collecting coins since I was in 7th grade. I am participating in Shared Stories because I want to know about this neighborhood and meet some outside-school friends. I am so glad to join this program. I learned a lot about Chinatown and Asian immigration history from the mentors and mentees.
My name is Bernice Chan. I'm a senior at Stuyvesant High School. I love to swing dance, fence, and write. I'm fascinated, for lack of a better word, by issues in the Asian American community. When I first heard the term model minority at a workshop in the summer, I began looking into all the disparities I didn't know were prevalent in the Asian community such as the stigma against seeking help for mental health and Asians being seen as perpetual foreigners. I've seen these problems in my life, my family's, and the community, and in the future I'll definitely work towards changing that. I was surprised when I found out that I was one of the few American born students in the Shared Stories program and I'm so excited to learn more about everyone and those in the Chinatown community. We may be seen by others as "Asian," but we're shaped by such different stories and backgrounds and it's time that those stories are heard.
My name is Fang Lin, I am from Fujian, China. I’ve been in America for nearly two years. I am a senior at Emma Lazarus HS. I would like to study either business or biology in college. As a new immigrant, I am trying to learn and get used to my new lifestyle and American culture. Meanwhile, I wish to keep practicing the Chinese traditional cultures. I personally adore Chinese classical literature like Tang and Song poetry. I like playing basketball and badminton. I like watching the NBA, and I am a fan of Kobe and Jeremy Lin. I appreciate that Shared Stories gives me an opportunity to get more involved in the Asian immigrant community. I am looking forward to learning from every mentor and mentee here!
My name is Hong Chen. I was born in Fujian, China and immigrated to the US in September, 2009. I am currently a sophomore at East Side Community High School. I joined Shared Stories to increase my speaking ability and to learn more about the community I live in. My main goals are to build up my vocabulary and and take more extracurricular activities, all for the sake of entering into a good college. Life is hard...T T I think I am more mature than many of my contemporaries because I think more about my future and plan out what I should do to achieve my goals; and that is also the reason why my grade is so complicated. I mean, I was a 9th grader and skipped 9th grade to 10th grade but this year I decided to stay in the 10th grade but continue taking 11th grade classes since I have more friends in 11th grade than 10th grade. I know it's a abstruse (Just learned xD). It's a confusing explanation, but wow I made myself clear about what's going on by writing this piece... As you know more about me, you will find out that I am more active in writing than talking. I once decided to become an author of a book, but unfortunately I didn't since it killed so much of my brain cells. I decided to let my future to be what it will be. That's what everyone would say, but idealistically, I want to make enough money for me to survive for a lifetime and earn some reputation to be self esteemed and actualized, then move to a rural town to enjoy the rest of my life. Ahhh... PS...I hate taking pictures of myself!!!
My name is James Wu, and my Chinese name is Jia Zheng Wu. I have been in the United Stated for about 4 years. I am a junior at Landmark High school. I like to watch professional wrestling and to play basketball when I have time. I can speak Cantonese and Mandarin. My goal is to do well on the SAT test and improve my English skills. I like to watch science fiction, especially about time travelling. My favorite food is pizza. I know that there aren't so many rights for immigrants in this country because they weren't born in this country. It was very tough for me to leave my home in China and step into a dramatically different world. I miss my family and friends all the time when I just came in this country. This is my second semester in the Shared Stories Program. I joined this program because I want to know why immigrants left their own country and go into a place where they have never been before, and I want to know how they feel about this huge change in their life. Many immigrants don’t have a good living condition or a high salary job. I hope I can learn more about immigrants in this program.
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein
My name is Ke Xin and I came from China 11 years ago to pursue a better education. Unlike some of the other immigrants, I did not struggle with adapting to the new language. I was four years old and it was a matter of time before I was making new friends and speaking in the new language. The journey created an opportunity for me to expand my horizon and learn not only English, but Cantonese as well. The variety of different cultures that brewed in the city slowly developed me to become the girl I became today. I’m living in the midst of diversity, but I still keep my identity as a Chinese and make frequent trips back to China. I am currently attending Brooklyn Technical High School, the largest and one of the most diverse high schools in New York City. I hope to one day attend Michigan University.
Kily Wong was adopted from Nanjing, China, in 1994, and now lives with her mom in the Lower East Side. She is a graduating senior at Hunter College High School, where she has participated in a variety of clubs including Term Council, GSA, and newspaper. She is also editor in chief of her school’s science fiction and fantasy magazine Tapestry and co-president of the MARINE Biology Club. As an Asian-American, Kily continues exploring her Chinese roots through learning more about Chinatown by volunteering in different community projects and by traveling abroad to China. Valuing the importance of networking, helping others, and being actively involved in one’s community, Kily participated in Shared Stories because she believes that it will help her tell the stories that need to be told, fight for the issues that matter, and seek out the voices that need to be heard.
My name is Ming Sinn. I came from Hong Kong. I have been living in the United States for almost 4 years. I go to school at Jacquline Kennedy Onassis High School and I am in 11th grade. I can speak Cantonese fluently. I am very obsessed with soccer; I always play soccer with my friends at Columbus Park. My favorite soccer team is Juventus, a team in Italy. I also like to cook because it is one of my interests. I participated in this program because I wanted to learn more about immigration and meet more friends. This is my fourth time joining Shared Stories.
My name is Qixiang Chen and I'm currently a junior attending East Side Community High School. I moved to America and stayed in NYC at the age of 5, attending elementary at PS 2. I eventually went to school at M.S. 131 which is about a five minute walk away from my house. During my high school career, I was a reserved person who preferred minimal social interactions with unfamiliar people. I like playing chess and have participated in many chess tournaments (on Saturdays). I feel like I have changed and accomplished a lot since the day I moved here. As the years progressed, I became more and more confident in my ability as a high school student and learned to become more independent. I joined Shared Stories to improve my speaking ability and to learn more about the Asian community.
My name is Ru Gao. I immigrated from China 3 and half years ago with my family. I am currently a junior at Flushing High School. I am a responsible, gregarious and amiable person. My hobbies are cooking, making handicrafts, dancing, and taking photographs. I’m interested in studying architecture in college. One of my favorite buildings is Casa Batllo, which was built by Antoni Gaudi. As an immigrant, I am willing to dedicate my time, energy and effort in learning more about immigrant stories. This is my first time taking part in Shared Stories. I am looking forward to sharing my personal stories and hearing others in Shared Stories.
My name is Terran Chan. I was born in October, 1996 in New Jersey. I live in Saddle Brook, New Jersey and am a sophomore at Bergen Catholic High School. I live with my dad, mom and older sister. I enjoy sleeping, gaming, playing sports and hanging out with my friends. I once played soccer and basketball but am now currently playing lacrosse. I volunteer at the YMCA instructing swimming lessons. I plan to go to college and eventually get a job.
Hi, My name is Xiu Zhen aka Suzanne. I am an Asian, Chinese to be more specific. I am part American and British (don't have British blood though). I admit, I have a really unique style and a way of seeing things. I can get a bit crazy sometimes, who doesn't? An amazing fact about the Shared Stories program and me is that I was one of the first ones to join or maybe I am. I like myself, my culture and my society. This has influenced me to want to learn more about it. "I mean, we only have one life, why don't we live for the fullest?" :)
My name is Zhan Wen (Jasmine) and I am a senior at the High School of Economics and
Finance. I came to United States when I was 13 years old. At that time, I always remained quiet
and never reached out to the people in my neighborhood because I didn’t know English and I
was scared of my surroundings. However, over the past five years, I have gained a love for the
language and the other members of my community. I am a big fan of sports because it is competitive and I enjoy the team spirit I had with my teammates. My favorite sports are swimming, basketball and volleyball. Most of the time, you can find me in the park and recreation center.
As a member of Shared Stories, I learned about the issues facing the Asian American
community, but more importantly, I started to take action such as doing research and applying them intoday’s issues such as budget cuts and the DREAM Act. This program gave me the opportunity to meet people and become an advocate for my community. I want to use my education to continue becoming an active member of my community and eventually help those people who need it most. I look forward to learning from the mentors and mentees in the new semester.
Finance. I came to United States when I was 13 years old. At that time, I always remained quiet
and never reached out to the people in my neighborhood because I didn’t know English and I
was scared of my surroundings. However, over the past five years, I have gained a love for the
language and the other members of my community. I am a big fan of sports because it is competitive and I enjoy the team spirit I had with my teammates. My favorite sports are swimming, basketball and volleyball. Most of the time, you can find me in the park and recreation center.
As a member of Shared Stories, I learned about the issues facing the Asian American
community, but more importantly, I started to take action such as doing research and applying them intoday’s issues such as budget cuts and the DREAM Act. This program gave me the opportunity to meet people and become an advocate for my community. I want to use my education to continue becoming an active member of my community and eventually help those people who need it most. I look forward to learning from the mentors and mentees in the new semester.
My name is Zhoufeng Ni. I came from the city, Fuzhou, in the southeast of China. I immigrated to the United State in February 2010. I’m a First-Year at Hunter College. I prefer subjects like language and history. I like collecting records, singing Karaoke, travelling and cooking. I enjoy participating in Shared Stories because it offers me a chance to learn about the issues on immigration and to meet with different people who I could be inspired from their intelligence and diligence.