Today is Friday, September 20, 2002. On Sept 11th, I went to work early and my son asked me to help him in his election campaign because he was running for City Council. When I arrived at IS 131, I heard the first the first plane crash and then the second. I was scared and my cell phone didn’t work. I went home and I didn’t go to work the next day. After two days, I went back to work. Before Sept 11, we still had some jobs in the factories but after Sept 11 there were no jobs in the factories. The workers had no jobs. The garment factories closed. I had no money to pay the rent. I went to the Red Cross to apply but they told me that only people from South of Canal street could apply. I had a feeling that they didn’t really care about me. They kept arguing and talking about my age.

I read the newspaper and I found out there was a Sept 11 special training class where I could learn English and train as a home care attendant. I want to thank the CPC. I hope everybody can also take this class. Luckily, the government helped me to pay the rent, otherwise I would have had to sleep on the street.

Translation/synopsis by Lana Cheung + Sherry Kane