Amy’s Father Leaves At 16 And Returns At 32

Amy describes a video she made called "Memories of Father" for her father for Fathers day. Her father passed away in 2008. The first photo was of her father at age 16 leaving for Hong Kong. When he returned 16 years later, the communists had taken over. At the time, the overseas Chinese businessmen were asked to come back to China to help build a new better country. Amy's father had believed that the new country would have freedom, democracy and opportunity. Amy's father had experience manufacturing automobile parts during the Japaneses occupation, as well as import/export experience with British cigarettes. Believing every child should have an education, he wanted to supply teaching equipment. At age 13, he had been working as an operator for a telephone company. He had practiced at home, such that he could perform his task with his eyes closed. He had been caught reading a book during work hours, but the business owner thought he was very smart. The business owner asked to meet his parents and offered to send him to Shanghai to study. The only catch was that he would no longer be earning a salary from the telephone company. At the time, Amy's father was 15, had never attended High School and he was being sent to College. The first year he was able to do well. About two years later, warlords had started a war. The businessman who was supporting him had joined an army and been killed. So, Amy's father's financial support was gone. He decided embark on "his own adventure" and go to Hong Kong. Returning to China at age 32, he believed that every child would have the chance to go to school under the CCP. He had assets in Hong Kong and founded his teaching equipment business. "The CCP promised everything", invited all the businessmen back, made them enemies of the state and confiscated their assets. Amy draws a parallel between the betrayal of Chinese businessmen in her fathers time and the betrayal of Hong Kong, pointing out that Hong Kong was supposed to remain independent for 50 years and it only did for 24 year.