Qin Li was a young scholar teaching a course on women and public policy at one of the top five universities in China when she uprooted her life to create a better future for her children.
In 2016, Qin and her husband Joe made a brave decision to give up everything and move to the United States. Concerned about their three and a half year old son Albert’s health, they felt the move would be the best chance to give him a bright future.
Many of Qin’s family members shared their concerns about her decision to give up her profession in China to move across the world. She commented, “We only have one life to live, and I wanted my children to be healthy.”
Yet, Qin didn’t deny the many challenges of living in a new country with a young family. When asked about the most difficult part, she explained, “For me, it was self-doubt. Because I didn’t have the experience growing up in American culture, it was hard for me to raise a child in America. I knew I needed to learn as much as I could to be a good advocate for my son.”
During her experience in the Power of Parenting program, Qin began opening up about the difficulties of being part of a migrant family. And she soon learned that she was not alone in her struggles.
“After the program, I became more confident. I really learned that I am not alone. There are parents in the same situation and we just need the opportunity to come together to get support from each other. We all have so much to give,” Qin said.
Today, Qin is an independent scholar, filmmaker, yoga instructor, community leader, and a mother of two boys, 3-year-old Bowden (pictured left) and Albert, now 7 years old.
As she and her family are sheltering in place at their home in Revere, Qin remains a source of positivity for Families First. She is continuing her work as a Parent Leader and will be co-facilitating a virtual Parent Café.
When asked whether she thought that parents would benefit from the Power of Parenting program in a virtual setting, she said,
“Yes, absolutely! One thing that is helping me right now is taking care of myself so that I can take care of my kids. The Power of Parenting helps with that. Now more than ever, parents need to know that they are not alone—we are apart, but we have each other.”
Qin was featured in Families First 2020 Newsletter. Read the full newsletter here.
