Retired NASA Chemist, Winifred Huo, was born in Guangzhou, China two weeks before the start of the Sino-Japanese war. She recalls the first eight years of her life as looking for a safe place to live, and a place where her father could work. (see post one.) Winifred's highly-educated father was assigned to Guangdong to help build the impossible: the Burma Road. (see post two.) Two years after arriving, the Japanese invaded and the family had to make a quick escape. (see post three.) Thanks to Winifred's mother, despite all the moving about, Winifred excelled at her studies. And, when she finally landed in Hong Kong for high school, she found her passion in the sciences.(see post four.) When she graduated--while the University of Hong Kong would not accept her because of some British rulings--she got a place at the University of Taiwan. (see post five.)
Winifred’s father also moved to Taiwan to work with a friend
of his in a vocational school. Shortly thereafter Purdue University in Indiana suggested teacher exchanges. They invited Winifred's father to the U.S. as an instructor in 1957. Then came Sputnik.
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| "Sputnik Changed Everything." |
"Sputnik Changed Everything. The U.S. changed its immigration policy. For scientists and
engineers they encouraged immigration. So my father took the chance, applied
for a green card and got it. So because he had a green card, he could get his
family out. Our whole family moved to Chicago. My mother, sisters and I came in
1958.”
(To be continued. Next: Protected as a Foreigner.)
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