Yaqiu Wang

America has treated me so well. I'm so grateful for America.

the internet was relatively freer at the time. So like you start to learn a concept of freedom of expression. It is a right in America, the Bill of Rights. And then, you know, you start to aspire. You know, I wanted to go to that country, become that part of culture and, you know, way of life. I want to first go to study in America, learn English,

from America, then come to China and to try to change China.

Then they interrogated me for three days, so two days.

What are we doing in America? Who do you know at the State Department? I was like so confused. So I was so shocked. Like I was nobody. What did I do? Like why? Like suddenly I'm in this situation. I was very, very traumatized. Now I can just tell the story freely. I couldn't tell the story for a few years.

I got laid off because of him, right?

I had no support. Nobody knew that happened to me. here, you know, the news media, thanks to the free press in the U.S. that we know about these tough students, right?

I want to say that you might feel shocked right now. You might feel powerless and paralyzed. It's very, very normal. I experienced it. But trust me, you will become more courageous. Believe in yourself. Believe in your neighbors. Believe in the fundamental yearning, the fundamental belief in democracy and human rights. We will prevail.