Good Fortune: My Journey to Gold Mountain

by Li Keng Wong

Overview

In this dramatic memoir of early-twentieth century immigration, author Li Keng Wong shares her family's difficult journey from rural China to a new life in California.

In 1933, seven-year-old Li Keng's life changed forever when her father decided to bring his family from a small village in southern China to California. Getting to America was not easy, as their family faced America's strict anti-Chinese immigration laws that meant any misstep could mean deportation and disgrace.

Life in America during the Great Depression brought many exciting surprises as well as many challenges. Hunger, poverty, police raids, frequent moves, and the occasional sting of racism were a part of everyday life, but slowly Li Keng and her family found stability and a true home in "Gold Mountain."

An author's note contains photos and an update on Li Keng Wong's family. This evocative memoir presents the joys and sorrows of pursuing the American Dream during a time of racism and great poverty, but also immense opportunity. The book also contains information on Angel Island and its significance in history as well as an explanation of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561454648
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	10/07/2008
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	971,564
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Li Keng Wong was born in China in 1926 and came to the United States when she was seven. The first person in her family to attend college, she taught elementary school in the San Francisco Bay area for more than thirty-five years. After her retirement, she often shared her family's immigration experiences with schools and community organizations. Good Fortune was her first book for young readers, and her story was featured in the Disney documentary, "The American Tapestry." She died in 2018.

Table of Contents

A Letter from Gold Mountain     1
Waiting     5
Joyful Times     7
Mama's Story     11
The Coaching Papers     15
A Gold Mountain Guest     19
On Our Way     25
A Strange New World     29
Aboard the SS Hoover     35
Crossing the Pacific     39
Locked Up     43
A Sweet Surprise     47
Yee's Interrogation     49
Questions for Li Hong     51
My Turn     53
Good-bye to Angel Island     55
Ferry to Freedom     59
Welcome to Chinatown     63
A Small Celebration     67
Exploring Our New Home     69
Back to School     71
Homecoming     75
A New Beginning     77
Playing the Lottery     81
A New Member of the Family     85
A Red Egg Party     87
Troubles     91
Another Chance     93
Life in Chinatown     95
Ghosts     99
Changes     105
Helping the Family     109
Dark Days     113
A NewLife     117
Good Luck at Last     121
A Very Special Year     125
Author's Note     129
More about Angel Island Immigration Station and the Chinese Exclusion Act     133
For Further Information     136
About the Author     137

Editorial Reviews

"This memoir clearly shows the hardships, sacrifices, and eventual successes of the Chinese families who came to America during the Depression. . . . Photographs of the family when they are older show prosperous and happy people and leave readers with a sense of the richness of the immigrant experience."—School Library Journal

"The vivid cultural details. . . are fascinating, whether Wong is describing her mother's traditional wedding or the family's first apartment in California, where her father coped with the Depression by running a gambling business in the family's front room. The plain words leave room for readers to imagine their own emotional responses."—Booklist

From the Publisher