by Wendy Fong, Central California Women’s Facility
Being the product of an interracial marriage and broken home, my whole life has been a journey in which I’ve had to prove myself. My Asian culture required me to fulfill unrealistic expectations from a young age. These expectations were intended to push me so that I would be successful in life. There was no malice behind the demands.
When I left my dad’s home and moved in with my mom, my whole world changed. Suddenly, I found I had to prove myself for other reasons. Since my mom was deep in her addiction and selling drugs, the type of people she spent her time with and brought around the house, were unsavory to say the least. As my mom fell deeper into the street life, I had to prove my loyalty to her. Before I knew it, I became her protector. I didn’t use, so my mom relied on me for everything. I was the only person she truly trusted.
Then I became a mom at the age of fifteen, so I had to prove I could be a good mom. I had to prove that I was responsible and would raise my daughter with morals and integrity…that I would put her before anything else and that I would love her beyond measure.
Even now I have to prove myself… I have to prove that I deserve a second chance at living outside these prison walls. I have to prove that I will be a contribution to the community and not a threat. I have to prove that I’m not a violent person, but a compassionate one who cares about the well-being of others.
I know if I’m given a second chance, my journey to prove myself will continue on. I will then have to prove that the courts, board of parole, or Governor, made the right decision when they granted me relief.
Until then, I will prove that my LWOP (life without parole) sentence won’t stop me from reaching out a hand to help lift others up. That I will continue to use my experiences in life to help the next generation. That I will prove I can still be a good mom from behind these walls. Most of all, I will prove I’m worthy of a second chance.