It’s beyond me…
My father and his family, circa 1942
by Cara Chang Mutert
My father took his first step onto the “Land of the Free” in 1947 with great hope. He was 25 years old, and with only a few dollars in his pocket, he built a life for himself and our family here in this country that most would never have imagined.
His life began very humbly in a small village in China, with no running water or electricity, at a time where an egg was as precious as a pearl, reserved only for the very sick or the very old. Following the death of his father at age 10, he became the man of the house, responsible for his mother, grandmother and aunt. As the first grandson born to the first son of his grandfather who produced 7 sons, the family pooled their money to ensure the son of the “First House” could attend school. His hard work, determination and excellence earned him a scholarship from the US government to travel and study in America. Upon receiving this honor, he sailed across the ocean to the land of opportunity, where anything was possible.
That United States federal scholarship and all the opportunities that followed solidified my father’s ardent belief and faith in democracy. He fought hard and waited patiently to become a US citizen. In 1959, my father finally was granted US citizenship and officially became an American. Knowing impermanence at such a young age, he always closely watched the state of our government and world events. Nothing could ever be taken for granted.
The unnerving events that occurred at the Capitol last week rattled us all. The violence that occurred on the steps and in the halls of the building which has upheld our country’s democracy since its inception was surreal. But the symbolism behind it was even more chilling. Our democracy itself was being threatened.
Regardless of how this happened and why, who you support or not, thankfully democracy did prevail in the end. The democratic process eventually resumed, and those we elected to uphold our democracy went back to work even after the misguided efforts which tried to thwart it.
Once a beacon of democracy, America will now need to get to work to repair the divots in its tarnished image. The United States has a greater role to play in the world than just ensuring our own comfort and desires. The world looks to us as keepers of democracy.
One of the last questions my father was able to utter before he passed in May was, “Is there anything good happening in the world today?” Even in the very last days of his life, his concern still extended beyond his own suffering.
He would have turned 99 this week.
While we all continue to work to recover from a year that has brought us to our knees, perhaps we can learn from my father’s example: to think beyond our own suffering and find a way to come together to create a better world for all of us.
Gazing upward, I look forward to the day I can say to him, “Yes Daddy, great things are happening in the world today…”