Li Mei's story YWCA Central Alabama — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:04imagine finding yourself in a foreign
2. 0:07country you're frightened you can't
3. 0:09speak the language you're alone except
4. 0:12for a few friends you've been battered
5. 0:15by your husband and all you're carrying
6. 0:18with you are a few clothes a little
7. 0:20money and your unborn child this is how
8. 0:25Lee May came to the Birmingham
9. 0:27YWCA all she knew was in China her
10. 0:31family her friends her husband but she
11. 0:34knew she had to leave not just for
12. 0:37herself but for her baby she wanted a
13. 0:40better life for her she had very little
14. 0:44Freedom her husband was abusive and if
15. 0:48she stayed she might be condemning her
16. 0:50daughter to the same existence Lee May
17. 0:53came to Huntsville in
18. 0:551997 with a booming technology industry
19. 0:58some family friends had come over to
20. 1:00work these were the only people she knew
21. 1:03in the states her friends contacted the
22. 1:06YWCA shelter and brought her to
23. 1:09Birmingham they said they would be back
24. 1:11in 1 month to get her that was 4 and A2
25. 1:15years ago Lee may had two choices either
26. 1:18give up and return to the life she'd
27. 1:20known or stay at the shelter and try to
28. 1:23make it in an American society so
29. 1:27knowing no English and very little about
30. 1:30holding a job Lee May unpacked her
31. 1:33clothes and her courage and settled into
32. 1:36life at the YW today Lee may still lives
33. 1:40at the YW in a two-bedroom apartment
34. 1:42with her daughter spring this happy
35. 1:45healthy little girl has literally grown
36. 1:47up in the YWCA daycare With Kids Corner
37. 1:50paying her way spring has just adapted
38. 1:53to um to us and to to our culture and um
39. 1:59she's worked with these children and
40. 2:01played with these children and she's
41. 2:03been a big help too she loves this
42. 2:06dayare and she knows everyone here in
43. 2:08this daycare today Lee May has become
44. 2:11self-sufficient and has a great job
45. 2:14right here at the YW translators from
46. 2:17UAB came over to translate for her and
47. 2:20help her make the transition into her
48. 2:22new job explaining her responsibilities
49. 2:25in Chinese even labeling cleaning
50. 2:28supplies in English and Chinese Lee May
51. 2:31learned very quickly that southern
52. 2:33hospitality isn't just a Saye it is a
53. 2:37heart and soul of the people she's come
54. 2:39to call Family the staff of the YW
55. 2:42didn't just take her in they made sure
56. 2:45she had a chance to succeed even helping
57. 2:48her get her work visa by taking her to
58. 2:50the ins in Atlanta lie May has also
59. 2:54joined the local church becoming very
60. 2:57active in the congregation and community
61. 3:00she has embraced the life here with
62. 3:02energy and courage but she hasn't
63. 3:05forgotten where she came from Lee May
64. 3:08recently returned to China for the first
65. 3:10time in 5 years reconnecting with family
66. 3:14and friends and facing her fears of the
67. 3:17pain she left behind but her story
68. 3:20doesn't end here not if Lee May has
69. 3:23anything to say about it anyway she
70. 3:26looks to the future with hope and looks
71. 3:29back on her time at the YW with joy we
72. 3:32very happy to here
73. 3:36[Music]