This paper is the story of two immigrants to the United States, Hong-chin Chang and Michelle Min-Scioli. The contrasts and similarities between their experiences offer interesting examples of the kinds of problems, conflicts, and challenges faced by Asian immigrants in the decades following the passage of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965. One arrived as a student, intending to matriculate into the American university system and then return to his homeland. The other came as a refugee, fleeing political repression in her native land. Their differing backgrounds reflect many of the recent trends in the Asian-American experience, as each seeks to find a place in American society.
Hong-chin ("Max") Chang came to America from Hong Kong in 1987 at the age of 19. He is the oldest boy of four children; he has one older sister, one younger sister, and a younger brother, all of whom have remained in Hong Kong. In elementary school, Chang had done well. He had been chosen to serve as a prefect, an honorary position which required him to provide an outstanding example for younger students and take a leadership role in school events. He had also played on several sports teams and been active in scouting.
Despite his family's encouragement, however, Chang had not achieved top honors in high school, which had prevented him from attaining prime placement in the university system. He says, "I was the oldest son, and my father expected me to be accepted easily. He was very disappointed when I had to tell him that I would not be going to college in Hong Kong."
Rather than accept what he and his family considered to be an inferior placement, Chang began to consider studying in the United States. He spent the year after high school working at an investment banking firm in Hong Kong, then set out to begin classes in America. The first three months were extremely difficult for Chang. He had taken some classes in Englis...