LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF HAWAI‘I
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LEGAL AID IMPACT

from a seaside town in Qingdao to Honolulu

11/20/2020

 
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I grew up in a city very much like Honolulu, in a seaside town called Qingdao in China. I had no idea about the United States back then.

I worked as a biology teacher when I was in China, met my then husband, and we had a son. My son was about 4 years-old when his father got an opportunity to advance his education in Hawai`i. Of course, we followed him!

The move to Hawai`i gave me opportunities as well. I enrolled at the University of Hawai`i and studied epidemiology with an emphasis in statistics, graduating with my Master’s degree. It allowed me to work in the health industry for many years – it built on my teaching days in China.

I had thought about becoming a United States citizen when I first arrived, and even tried to start the process a couple of years ago. It was very difficult for me to understand the paperwork because my first language is Mandarin. In my first attempt, I didn’t really have anyone helping me and I gave up. Then I heard about the Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i and met with a staff attorney!

The people at Legal Aid helped so much. They are such wonderful professionals, very knowledgeable with details and the process. Without Legal Aid’s help, I would not have been able to become a U.S. citizen.

Now that I am a citizen, I am applying for new employment opportunities – positions that will help even more, and also build the future that I want. I do think that my professional background in health can help our community, especially given what we are going through today. Thank you to Legal Aid for helping me get here!

-May

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  • Home
    • About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Board of Directors
    • Locations
    • Legal Aid Newsletter
    • Annual Report
    • Outreach Calendar
    • Staff >
      • Staff
    • Contact Us
  • COVID-19 Legal Help
    • Unemployment COVID-19
    • Financial Assistance COVID-19
    • Stimulus Payment COVID-19
    • Housing & Utility Assistance COVID-19 >
      • Rent/Mortgage Assistance
      • Utility Payment Assistance
      • Locked Out by Landlord
      • Utility Shutoff by Landlord
    • Shelters COVID-19
    • Health COVID-19
    • Food Resources COVID-19
    • Courts COVID-19
    • Family and Safety COVID-19
    • Children COVID-19
    • Schools COVID-19
    • Immigrants COVID-19
    • Seniors COVID-19
    • Military COVID-19
  • What We Do
    • Fair Housing
    • Immigrant Justice Center >
      • Citizens of the Freely Associated States
      • Domestic Violence
      • Human Trafficking
      • Public Charge
      • Removal Proceedings
    • Kupuna Legal Aid Services
    • Tax Assistance and Clinic
    • Health Insurance
  • Resources
    • Brochures
    • Self-Help Centers
    • Filipino Resources
    • Chuukese Resources
    • Marshallese Resources
    • Kosraean COVID Resources
  • Opportunities
    • AmeriCorps Positions
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Volunteer >
      • Clerical Aides & Paralegals
      • Law Students
      • Pro Bono Attorneys
      • Kauai Disaster Relief Training
      • Hawaii County Disaster Relief Training
      • Employment Authorization Document Training
      • Self-Help Center Training
      • Fair Housing Testers
  • Legal Aid Impact
  • GIVE NOW
    • Support Our Work
    • Ways to Give
    • Cy Pres Funds
    • Leadership Circle