Asian American by choice, by Roger Wood. Her comments come from an interview that he conducted with her.
Lily Tang Williams arrived in the US with $100 in her pocket. She had basically fled the strict regulations imposed by her former home, The People’s Republic of China, PRC. Lily had gained the right to attend graduate school in the states, after overcoming many bureaucratic obstacles in order to leave. She has never returned to her homeland after being threatened with “consequences“ if she returned. She now says she is “an American by choice“. After graduate school she became a lawyer and then an activist for Asian Americans. She says that she has faced minimal derogatory comments or threats while living in Colorado and then a small New Hampshire town. But, sensing the need for activism during a time of hate crimes against Asian Americans, she formed the New Hampshire Asian American Coalition or NHAAC. She says that she feels all Americans should be able to seek the American dream. She also hopes her coalition will make a difference by shining a light on the need for people to welcome and accept different ethnicities and races.
Roger Wood bio
Roger Wood is an award winning radio, newspaper and television journalist, with over 40 years of experience in the media. Roger has spent his entire professional career in New Hampshire. Roger currently serves as associate publisher at InDepthNH.org. He has produced news and special feature reports for InDepthNH, New Hampshire Public Radio, NPR, and other Public and commercial radio stations. He also produced spot news for CBS Radio.