Shi Guo Ri was among those who had paid for a dream that would turn into a nightmare. He wanted to go to the United States. He would eventually bring over his family to join him when he gets settled there.<\/p>\n
He drew beautiful images on his mind when he left Fu Quing village and boarded the rusty boat bound for Guam.<\/p>\n
Instead, he spent several months in jail after being charged with crimes that he said he did not understand.<\/p>\n
Shi was one of the four defendants who were acquitted of alien smuggling charges yesterday.<\/p>\n
“I’m very happy I was found innocent. I never did anything wrong,” Shi said through an interpreter.<\/p>\n
He said he hasn’t given up on his “American dream.” He has asked his attorney William Campbell to assist him in his application for asylum in the U.S.<\/p>\n
“I cannot go back to China anymore,” Shi said.<\/p>\n
Shi is a native of Fu Quing, a small village in Fujian Province, where he finished 8th grade and worked as a baker.<\/p>\n
He is married and has two kids, who are now with his parents in Nan Xiao.<\/p>\n
“My parents are very old. They cannot help anymore. In China, life is terrible. I want to go to America and bring my family there,” said Shi.<\/p>\n
Shi and his wife were penalized by the Chinese government for getting married at an illegal age. They were fined $10,000 RMB (about $1,000). He was 23 and she was 20 when they got married.<\/p>\n
In China, the marrying age is 24 for men and 21 for women.<\/p>\n
Shi said he is afraid to go back to China because he and his wife are facing prosecution for having a second child. China follows the one-child policy.<\/p>\n
“We have not gotten our punishment yet but we’re expecting it. I don’t believe in having only one child,” Shi said.<\/p>\n
After the agony of waiting in the jail, Shi said he now only hopes that “I can be given a chance to get asylum.” (MCM)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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