THE UNLIKELY CHEERLEADING SQUAD

"You don't speak the language and you have no education. Who would give you a job? Where would you find another good job?" Ms. MK said to me when I gave her my two-week notice. Twenty-seven years later, I still remembered her every words, "I don't need your two-week notice. I could call the refugee agency right now with a replacement. You could leave this afternoon." I saw the anger in her eyes. "I was kind to you and your family. This is how you repay me," she continued as I stood up to leave her office. Ms. MK referred to the used clothing she gave me to take home and a few tokens as a bonus when I had to stay on Friday evenings beyond five o'clock to make shipments before the weekend. I don't think I was paid overtime for the extra hours.

I don't remember whether I said anything else or just left her office, picked up my coat in the employee breakroom and walked the two blocks to catch the subway home. I don't remember whether I ate my lunch or could not eat because I was too nervous about my decision to quit. I don't remember whether I stopped by the bank to cash my check so I could give mother my weekly contribution. I do remember that the gross pay was $150 per week and my take home was $117. I kept $17 for tokens and gave mother $100. That was my first lesson about the prilvilege of having a job and paying income taxes. All the way home, I was calm and felt strangely relief. I did not regret quitting and Ms. MK's angry words did not scare me.

It was my first job in America arranged thru the social worker at the refugee agency. (More about BL, the social worker from hell in future entries.) I started to work at MK Company one month after we arrived in America, from early February thru mid-October of 1980. The company imported fashion jewelries from the Far East. The job did not require language skills. My work was limited to opening the containers after they were delivered, putting the boxes on the shelves according to their categories (bracelets, belts, scarves etc.) and by assigned product numbers. My other duties included gathering the merchandise off the shelves to fill the orders, again by product numbers, putting the shipping labels on the boxes to be picked up by United Parcel Services.

After work, Monday thru Thursday evenings, I walked from MK Company on 31st Street & Lexington to a school on 33rd Street & Park Avenue to attend English classes. I walked because the distance was so close to waste a subway token and it probablly would take too long waiting for the train during rush hours. Prior to leaving Viet Nam, I received English lessons with a private teacher who did a good job at stressing the important of grammar. He explained that we should not learn to speak the language without the benefits of formal education such as writing complete sentences and using correct tense of present, past or past participle.

After a few months working at MK, I was blessed to have two wonderful friends, MC who worked in the show room and a bookkeeper named EK. (I will share details of the kindness MC and EK extended to me in future entries) During my unpaid lunch time (I don't remember if it was half hour or one full hour.) I would eat my sandwiches quickly so I could help MC or EK in their offices. I made copies, filed correspondence and listened to their conversation with customers. When Ms. MK questioned why I did not confine myself in the employee breakroom, I explained that I wanted to improve my English and to explore different job opportunities. Ms. MK told me that I should be happy where I was and that she did not pay me to learn or be anything beyond a stock clerk!

Ms. MK had a dog named Chichi. It loved to jump on people and only consumed certain kind of brand name dog food. I was not the only employee who did not care for Chichi. A month after I started working, Ms. MK asked me to take Chichi for a walk and I told her I was not comfortable with dogs. She made a comment (I don't remember her exact words) but it implied that for a lowly Vietnamese refugee, I should not be uncomfortable performing any kind of work when instructed to do so.

As the #7 train approaching and then stopped at Elmhurst Avenue station, I got off, slowly walked down the stairs, continued towards the apartment building, I began to get nervous. What would I tell mother that this week I only have $85 to contribute to the family income? After I explained that I left the job at MK, mother was not supportive. I understood her worry about how the family would survive with the only income from my father's job as a dishwasher.

Looking back at what happened, I admit that Ms. MK was the unlikely cheerleader and her words, though cruel and brutal, had strengthen my determination to reach for higher platforms both in employment and educational opportunities. In 1983, the stock clerk earned an Associate Degree attending classes at LaGuardia Community College while working at a night job as data entry operator. In 1988, the data entry operator earned a Bachelor Degree majoring in communication and political science from Hunter College, attending classes at night after a full day of work as an insurance premium collection clerk. Finally, in 1999, Saint Louis University awarded full scholarship and a graduate degree to the premium collection clerk.

Twenty seven years later, the stock clerk from MK Company has achieved the American dream working as a director at a trade association, a homeowner, a civic-minded citizen and an active volunteer in the community. Here is to Ms. MK, "I found another job and I did not have to confine myself to the stock room."