woman survives the attack, who later tells the story.

Fifteen people in the refugees' boat are my close relatives including my two sisters and one brother, and the majority of others are my neighbors. Nevertheless, the quest for freedom is not yet over. Despite the adversity of the journey, having to flee the homeland is the only way to avoid prosecution in Vietnam after the Vietnam war. The government put my father in jail for six years because he stood up for democracy. Others were killed or sent to "death" camps when their beliefs contradicted communism. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of people escape and face immense challenges in their efforts towards a happy and free life.

A year after my brother and sisters died at the hand of those sea pirates, my family and other siblings start our journey. Six years later, our dream comes true when we finally arrive in America. It is the first time I experience the effervescent taste of Seven-up, the delicious flavor of McDonald's french fries, and the atmosphere of true democracy that my country does not possess. Holding a hamburger in my hand reminds me of my brother and sisters hungering for it so badly that they risked their lives for America. That hamburger is worth only a few dollars, but priceless to me because the price my family has paid is measureless. I am very fortunate for being the one who is at last able to have the hamburger in his hand aftermany years of yearning and suffering.

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