Hello, my name is Yong Hak Cho and I am 73 years old. From 1984 through 2005, I worked for the 8th US Army in South Korea as a stock controller. In 2005, I immigrated with my wife to the United States and in 2010, I made the decision to become a United States citizen. My life changed in 2008, when my daughter, So Young, told me that her husband suddenly passed away. Overnight, my daughter became a single mother living with two young children in South Korea.
Life was too difficult for So Young to care for two young children and work full time. So Young made the painful decision to send her children to me and my wife. Since 2008, my wife and I have been our two grandchildren, Hyeon Jin and Heon Seo’s guardians. I love my grandchildren, and they bring so much joy in my life, however, they miss their mother.
I petitioned for my daughter in 2008, but her petition is still pending.
It makes me sad to know that my children will not have a father, but now, they don’t even have a mother. I urge legislators to remember the importance of family and to reduce the backlogs. Also to remember to reform immigration to include a pathway to citizenship.
Thank you.
