“My Fugitive Childhood” is about Chinese immigrants living illegally in the United States. The writer, “Jack,” begins his story with a terrible nightmare he’s had since childhood. He then describes what life is like for him and his parents, who are undocumented. He learned to pay the bills at seven. By 11, he bought health insurance for his family, and at 13, he was working 35 hours a week at his parents’ Chinese buffet. That’s almost five hours a day, including weekends, for a 13-year-old!

He then explains how he differed from the other students at his school. He tells of how he smelled of work, and how he had a foreigner’s voice compared to their native tongue. He feared deportation. When all the other students went home, he went to work.

Jack does a great job telling his story. The way he describes all his worries, nightmares, and problems made me feel like I was there watching him. What made me like the story even more was that if he was offered a new life, he wouldn’t take it. This piece gives us an inside look at immigration, which is a really big issue today. It shows how tough life is as an immigrant. It gives you the other side of the story.