Museum of Chinese in America

Gee Fung (Peter) Chin and Yep Pyu (Patricia) Chin sit down with MOCA to discuss their family’s history and the story of their immigration from Burma to the United States. Peter and Patricia left Burma in 1970 when it was under military rule and decided to immigrate to the United States for more freedoms and economic opportunities. The two had met at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Burma, where they regularly attended Sunday school and youth fellowship. A year after their marriage, they found out that they were accepted as immigrants to the United States and landed in San Francisco with their first-born baby daughter in tow. After arriving only three days, they received a call from an uncle, who convinced them to move to New York. Once in New York, they initially stayed with Peter’s brother-in-law in Harlem but ultimately settled in Borough Park, Brooklyn. The couple briefly reflect on memories of what both neighborhoods were like at that time, and how life slowly became better and better as Peter landed a job and found success as an accountant. Patricia shares how her initial experience of America was colored by difficult first years of motherhood due to having to care for three babies closely spaced together, but she grew to really love living in America. The Chins describe their identity as very much Chinese American because they were raised Chinese and consider themselves as typical Chinese people who respect their parents and celebrate traditional holidays, but are also proudly American. Both take pride and thank God for the close-knit extended family they were able to build. Peter and Patricia each sponsored their parents to live with them in the United States, and even now, they see their own adult children regularly as well. Each bring up stories that they want their daughters to hear, including of Peter’s long lost sister, who was given up as a baby for adoption, and Patricia’s widowed mother, who courageously moved the young family to Burma and worked hard to raise Patricia and her older brother on her own. Peter notes that he earned an MBA and the children were all able to receive advanced degrees and achieve a good life in this country. Because of how blessed they are, they firmly believe that they made the right decision to come to America and want future generations in their family to know that.