Our father, Tom Yee, emigrated from China to the U.S. as a teenager, served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII, and returned to China to marry our mother, Kuen (Kay). Our parents then sailed to the U.S. over a three-week period right before the Communists ascended to power in China in the late 1940s. With nothing more than the clothes on their backs and a trunk containing their belongings, they traveled to San Francisco, Phoenix and Boston before settling in Detroit. Like many new immigrants, they were determined to build a new life for themselves and their future offspring.
For the next 50 years, Detroit became their proud, adopted hometown where they raised their 11 children while working tirelessly in numerous jobs. Eventually, they saved enough money to start their own businesses, including a dry cleaners and restaurant. In order for the family to prosper, all of the children worked in the family businesses while growing up and attending school. Our parents sponsored immigrants from China so that they, too, could seek a better life for themselves and their families in the U.S. Despite working long hours and raising a large family, our parents also provided English translation services for immigrant relatives and friends for the betterment of the Chinese community.
Our parents understood and stressed the importance of an education to achieve a more secure future for their family. Thus, all 11 children graduated from college and pursued careers in education, medicine, business, and engineering, among others. Because of our parents’ emphasis on education, contributing to the ACA scholarship program furthers their beliefs and values in supporting students’ educational goals.
