The United States provided my family with a chance to remake ourselves.
Life was not easy as my newly immigrated parents supported our family of five by operating a fruit stand in New York City's Chinatown. As a result of my parents' hard work and a little bit of luck, I became the first person in my family to graduate from college.
Like many immigrant families, the allure of stability, especially financial stability, is of paramount concern. That was why I chose to major in Computer Science instead of Political Science. After college, I accepted an offer to work for Intuit instead of Google because I wanted to build software for small business owners like my parents.
I know that my story isn't unique.
As a young child, I was keenly aware of the gap between the promise of the United States and the complicated reality of our lives. As an adult, I found it frustratingly challenging to help close that gap and give back in a way that also utilized all of my skills — I was often typecast into software engineering work!
I am fortunate to have found TechCongress. Now I can use my technical expertise to serve as an advisor to Congressional members and make sure technology changes don't leave any underserved communities behind.
Not so many years ago, the younger me would accompany my father in his truck on the early morning drive out to Hunts Point, at the southern tip of the Bronx, where he would pick up the fruit that he and my mother would sell that day. On our return trip into the city, we'd drive past Yankee Stadium with a bag of McDonald's in between us. Coming from that upbringing to working for the elected officials to serve everyone in our country strikes me as a uniquely and quintessentially American journey.
I am grateful to TechCongress for giving me a chance to remake my life, not unlike the opportunity that this country gave my parents 30+ years ago.
The fabric of the United States is made up of so many threads -- some are frayed, some have snapped, some were hastily sewn in during a bygone time, and many are beautiful. That beauty and the continuing complexities it faces and where that leaves you or me or our families is something that connects every single one of us.
Thanks to TechCongress, I now have the opportunity to weave my story and yours into America's lore. How could you not be romantic about the United States and its ideals?