Amy Lee

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Hello, my name is Amy Lee, as a Branch Sales Manager, I guide customers step by step to get a mortgage loan for them. DHI has great programs, from first time homebuyers to sophisticated investors. I enjoy meeting new clients and learning their story. 
What’s your story?

Let me tell you my story...

My father was 34 years old when he first arrived in the USA. I’ve given much thought to his circumstances. I wonder what I would do if I had to suddenly pick up my life…in another country, move across the world, barely able to speak the national language with only the things I could carry and a few dollars in my pocket. How I would be able to support my family? I am extremely grateful for his strength and courage.

Our family immigrated from Vietnam when I was a young child. Like the plethora of others, we had to flee Vietnam after the war. Similar story of my grandparents who fled China after communism took over. History repeating itself all over again. I vaguely remember the journey. All my life, I’ve heard my family members tell the stories. Of course, I really didn’t grasp the dangers of the situation until a much older age, for I was only two years old. 

Now that I have children of my own, the reality of it all hits my heart.

We left Vietnam in a fishing boat with a few family members. My father knew the owner of the fishing boat. Dad had told me how grateful he was that the owner of the boat allowed our family to join them. Like the plethora of others, we had to flee Vietnam after the war. Similar story of my grandparents who fled China after communism took over. History repeating itself all over again. My father had no funds whatsoever to give the owner for the trip, but the owner graciously said he knew my father would repay him whenever he could. My father did repay him for that ‘boat ride’ years later and they are very good friends to this day.

Just the dangers of the open ocean alone would terrify me, I’m not sure how they thought a fishing boat of that size would make it across the Pacific Ocean or how long it would take. Due to circumstances, it was worth the risk.

My father shared with me: in the middle of ocean the small fishing boat was badly battered from the powerful ocean. Luckily, a US Navy ship found our boat and literally towed it to shore. Dad told me he wasn’t sure the boat would be remained intact as the Navy ship really wasn’t made to tow other boats and the boat and ship would constantly collide with one another. He said hearing the loud crashes, he thought our fishing boat would surely be destroyed with the multiple impacts.

The fishing boat make it to a refugee camp in Indonesia! We stayed in that refugee camp for nine months. Dad said we were lucky to have made it there, but even more fortunate to survive living at the refugee camp. Food was rationed with limited clean water. Many died from disease, many of those were children. He said there were deaths daily.

My dad had to do something about it. He headed the design and helped build a water system that would carry clean water from the mountaintop to the camp. Just like that, deaths declined because people were drinking clean water.

We arrived in Los Angeles and lived with a supportive sponsor family. My dad found his first job in the U.S. in a donut shop. He later got a job as a mail carrier at the US Post office. He has been working there for the past 30+ years until his retirement.

When I was growing up, I would always be worried about my dad during the hot 100+ degree summers and harsh winters of pouring rain and freezing temperatures. Whenever I had a bad day at school, I would think of how hard my dad was working for us and my day didn’t seem that bad.

My dad’s rough, dry hands was evidence of his hard work and sacrifice for my mom and my 3 younger siblings.

When my younger brother, Andy, was about a year old he developed tumors on his neck. We had only been in the United States for about 5 years. After 3 different surgeries to remove the tumors and being in and out of children’s hospital for a year, the doctors told my parents Andy would not be a “normal child”. It was a “mystery illness.” My parents pretty much spent the year taking turns sleeping at the hospital with him. My father still worked full time, cooked and cared for us.

Unable to find a cure in Western medicine, my father sought out a Chinese Herbalist. This doctor literally worked out of his house. My father would bring my brother Andy to see this doctor on a weekly basis.

From a toddler to a young boy, my brother would drink a very dark bitter herbal drink every evening. He’s now a healthy, active young man who has become a Medical Doctor himself!

Looking back at my dad’s life, his strength gives me my strength to tackle problems at work, school or home.

After all, compared to his life, my struggles are only a fraction of what he had to go through.

Thank you for reading!

I apply my dad’s work ethics into my career as a Mortgage Loan Originator for the past 20 years. There are days that are true struggles in the mortgage industry but then I think about my dad’s story...it’s not so bad! He inspires me every day! I truly LOVE my job and strive to help others as much as I can.

During my “free time,” I go on mission trips around the globe trying to bless others, but, I’m the one blessed and humbled by hearing the stories of others.

I’d LOVE to hear your story!