美国国家公共电台 NPR Meet Jin Park, The First DACA Recipient Awarded A Rhodes Scholarship

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This year's list of U.S. Rhodes Scholars is remarkable¹ for many reasons. Almost two-thirds are women. Nearly half are first-generation Americans or immigrants. But one scholarship recipient² has specially³ made history this year. Jin Park, a student at Harvard, and he is the first recipient of Deferred⁴ Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, to receive one of these prestigious⁵ scholarships to study at Oxford⁶ University. Jin Park arrived in New York City with his parents when he was 7 years old. He joins us now from Queens. Thanks so much for being with us.

JIN PARK: Thanks for having me.

SIMON: Well, congratulations. Forgive me - did your parents cry?

PARK: Yeah, they did. They cried. I also cried. We all cried (laughter).

SIMON: Well, help us understand what it means to you. I don't have to tell you - I mean, Bill Clinton, Susan Rice, Bobby Jindal. What does this scholarship mean to you?

PARK: It means to me personally a lot because growing up as an undocumented person in New York City, I've had a lot of formative experiences around particularly how my parents were treated at the face of the law and how I personally experienced some of these social institutions. And so these experiences as a child informed a lot of the ways that I wanted to use my talents for the world. And so having this opportunity for me is really meaningful.

SIMON: And how do you want to use your talents for the world?

PARK: I've proposed two master's degrees for my studies at Oxford - one in migration⁷ studies, the other in global health science and epidemiology. And so I want to kind of do those two degrees and come back and hopefully work in the context of a public health department in New York City or a large metropolitan⁸ area and implement⁹ evidence-based policies to improve and work on immigrant health.

SIMON: I have a feeling, Mr. Park, we're going to be talking to you for years to come.

(LAUGHTER)

PARK: I hope so, yeah.

SIMON: You were a speaker at the 2018 Harvard Class Day. I'm going to read you your words as I read them.

PARK: Sure.

SIMON: Quote, "if you've ever eaten at a Korean restaurant or received a mani-pedi in New York City, congratulations, like it or not, you may have partially¹⁰ subsidized the education of what Fox News would call an illegal alien."

PARK: Yeah. So my parents - so my dad works as a line cook in a restaurant, and my mom worked in beauty salons¹¹ her entire life. And so kind of watching my parents do that combined with also seeing my parents get denied health care - access to health care or health insurance - those experiences have informed the fact that if you're an undocumented person in America, you don't really have a full shot at full opportunity. And so that's kind of what I wanted to impart to my classmates.

SIMON: And how do you feel about this country?

PARK: Yeah. I feel - strangely, I feel really optimistic. I think regardless of the occupant of the White House, it's important to keep the focus on some of these bigger questions, right? Who belongs in America? Who is American? And who are we going to provide the full benefits of membership in America? So these are really big kind of almost theoretical questions that are going to remain. The answers are going to be necessary even after the current occupant leaves the White House so - and I think the real implications of the answers to these questions are important. They have genuine, real consequences for immigrants. So I think that's where we really have to keep the focus.

SIMON: Do you have words for other DACA recipients¹² who are - might be anxious about what's going on in this country now?

PARK: Yeah. The biggest thing that I'd say is understand your roots. Stay true to your roots. I think it's real important to really understand where you're coming from, understand who your peers are, who your community is, who you want to serve because going forward I think that's where you draw your strength. So I draw my strength personally from visiting my dad in the restaurant - right? - and kind of touching¹³ his hand and feeling the blisters¹⁴ and the roughness of his hands. And that always reminds me that I have to keep the focus on our community. That's where I have to always come back. And so that's the kind of advice that I give. Stay true to your roots.

SIMON: Jin Park, soon-to-be Rhodes Scholar and a Harvard grad, thanks so much and good luck to you.

PARK: Thanks for having me.

1 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

2 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

3 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

4 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

5 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

6 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

7 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

8 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

9 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

10 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

11 salons   

n.（营业性质的）店( salon的名词复数 )；厅；沙龙（旧时在上流社会女主人家的例行聚会或聚会场所）；（大宅中的）客厅

参考例句：

• He used to attend to his literary salons. 他过去常常去参加他的文学沙龙。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Conspiracy theories about Jewish financiers were the talk of Paris salons. 犹太金融家阴谋论成为巴黎沙龙的话题。 来自互联网

12 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

14 blisters   

n.水疱( blister的名词复数 )；水肿；气泡

参考例句：

• My new shoes have made blisters on my heels. 我的新鞋把我的脚跟磨起泡了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His new shoes raised blisters on his feet. 他的新鞋把他的脚磨起了水疱。 来自《简明英汉词典》