Immigrant From Taiwan Goes All Out Celebrating July 4th

Annie Lin and her  son, Jerry Wu stand among some of her patriotic decorations.
Annie Lin and her son, Jerry Wu stand among some of her patriotic decorations.

Many people hang a single flag for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July but one Salem home should win the prize for being the one with the most patriotic decorations in the neighborhood.  It’s the home of Annie Lin and her adult son, Jerry Wu.  Lin and her family are originally from Taiwan.  Her husband was a Chinese chef and passed away a few years ago.

“Now I’ve been a (U. S.) Citizen for more than 20 years,” said Lin.

When asked why it was important to become a citizen, Lin responded, “Because you can get a passport.  You can go to vote.  That is a main reason for people (to want to become citizens).”

Lin, who speaks Taiwanese, Chinese, and English, explained that the process was complicated.  First she had to answer 20 random questions from a possible 100, and the questions weren’t multiple choice.

“You study; you got to study . . .  All (of them) you’ve got to know.”

She said she had to know how many Congressman and Senators there were and how many years they serve in a term.  “You had to know about American history, Independence Day, and who is the President.”

“You got to remember everything. It was hard for me, but I’m good, I passed it.”

She also had to have a face-to-face interview.

So the reason to decorate her house and front lawn was born out of the love she feels for her new country. “I’m proud to be a citizen, so I don’t ask what they do for me. . .I need to do something for this country.”

She went to the recent D-Day remembrance in Bedford.  “We salute to them, the veterans, they sacrifice for our country. Every day is Veterans Day.  They sacrificed for our country. We salute to them. It comes from the heart.”

And it’s not just the house and lawn. Lin and her son, Jerry, who works as a cafeteria aide at Fallon Park Elementary, are wearing symbols of their pride.  Lin is red, white, and blue, from the top of her hat to the bottom of her high-heeled boots.  Wu wears a flag shirt complete with an eagle.

Lin, who works as a nurse at Friendship Manor Assisted Living, decorates for most holidays. “You come to Halloween, I have a whole bunch of stuff. . . not scary but beautiful.”

She also decorates for Valentine’s Day; there’s a bunny for Easter.  Decorations for St. Patrick’s Day adorn the house and front lawn in March.

“I’m not Irish but I say, ‘I am Irish (for) one day’.”

Aren’t we all?

– Beverly Amsler

 

 

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