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By Jennifer Hatton
As James Wu prepares to walk across the stage during commencement on May 16 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the 22-year-old will reflect on his family's struggles and sacrifices.
James, who will receive a bachelor's degree in finance from the College of Business Administration at UMSL, was born in Canton, China. He moved to Missouri with his father, Moses, and mother, Jin-Ling, when he was 5.
Coming to the United States was scary for his entire family, but his mother had the most anxiety. Not only was Jin-Ling moving to a foreign country, she was to reunite with her biological family for the first time in 34 years.
Jin-Ling's father, George Wang, was a member of the Chinese Army in the 1950s. In order to escape the communist regime, the family fled to Taiwan. Government restrictions allowed only her parents and two older brothers to flee. Jin-Ling, who was only 5 at the time, was left in the care of family friends.
After arriving in Taiwan, the Wangs tried to contact Jin-Ling and make arrangements for her to join them. However, communication with their daughter was lost due to governmental changes in the country.
After more than 30 years, Jin-Ling left China, with her husband and son, to move in with her parents and siblings in Bridgeton, Mo.
"My mother was very happy to see her family again. She never had any resentment against them; she was just happy to be with them again," James said.
His parents took jobs at a restaurant when they first arrived in Missouri.
"When we first moved here, my parents worked very hard. My dad took a job as a dishwasher and my mom waited tables," James said. "They worked really hard to become the entrepreneurs they are today."
In 1992, Wu's parents opened Rock Hill Chop Suey, 9509 Manchester Road in Rock Hill, Mo. The Chinese restaurant is still owned and operated by the family. James and his parents now reside in Chesterfield, Mo.
"My parents are very intelligent people, but they never got a chance to go to college, and they have worked so hard to give me this opportunity," James said.
He is a member of the UMSL Pierre Laclede Honors College and a College of Business Administration mentee in the Regional Business Council's Higher Education Initiative.
He recently completed an internship with B.E. Scaife Plumbing Co. through the St. Louis Stempel Plan, which helps minority-owned businesses secure contracts. Deborah Henry, academic adviser in the Pierre Laclede Honors College at UMSL, supervised James through his internship.
"James was extraordinary in building a relationship with the St. Louis-based company. He really went above and beyond, created materials not even requested from him," Henry said.
James credits his academic success to the dedication and encouragement of the faculty in the College of Business Administration at UMSL. However, James said his biggest support came from his parents, whom he credits for his drive to achieve in everything his does.
As James begins to look for a job, his goal is to become a chief financial officer of a major St. Louis corporation within the next 10 years.
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