THEY’RE MAJOR MOMS : ‘Here I Feel I Have a Lot of Opportunity to Learn’

Monica Jane Uy, 43, immigrated to the United States from a United Nations refugee camp in Thailand in 1983 after fleeing her native Cambodia. After years of working as a housewife and mother, Uy was recently hired by the Chinatown Service Center as a family service assistant at Castelar Elementary School. Her three children, Earl, 9, Jeffrey, 8, and Victoria, 6, attend the school. Uy was interviewed by community correspondent Marilyn Martinez.

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I lived in Battam Bang in Cambodia. It’s a big city. But after Pol Pot took over, we (her parents and siblings) were sent to the country (in 1975). There was a lot of hardship. They were killing people who had a high education, like teachers. But we snuck back to the city. When we came back, everything was gone. There were no houses, no apartments. People tried to live together, but it was very crowded, very dirty. People were starving.

Then the Vietnamese took over (in 1979). My younger brother was killed. He went to the (Thai) border to be a smuggler. They smuggled sugar, candy, bras, underwear. Some soldiers shot at a whole bunch of people and my brother (was killed).

We then went to a camp in Thailand. I was in camps from June, 1982, to December, 1983. Then we came to Chicago.

When my first child was born, I was working in Chicago as a program assistant helping people deal with the new culture. I was going to school at National College of Education. After I got married, I had a full-time job and I was a full-time housewife. Then I got pregnant and had to drop out of school. I still miss it.

Later, we moved (to Los Angeles). My husband got sick. We had to stay on government aid for a while because of his sickness. And I had more kids. We were miserable, actually.

I told myself that I wanted to change my life. I don’t have a degree, but I have two years of college in my country. I told my (disabled) husband that I needed to do something that could change me, that could change our family.

Now I have just been working for two months. I work here only part time. But I am still busy because after that I have to go home and cook. After the kids get home from school, I have to help them with their homework.

I think I am tough with my kids. I don’t let them watch television. If they can finish their homework by 5 or 6 p.m., they can have half an hour to watch “Family Matters” or “Full House.” Now they feel like they don’t need to watch television. They want to play hockey, skateboard, ball, and they like to jump.

I love it here. Here I feel like I have a lot of opportunity to learn. In Cambodia, women stay at home, take care of their kids. Here, I feel like women, wake up! We have the right to go to school and work and do a lot of things.