Student shares apartment with mom

Some students, living on their own, either in the dorms, an apartment or a house, have forgotten what it is like to spend every day with their family. The holidays become the perfect time to spend with family, friends and loved ones.

However, for Chung-Yu Kao, a senior political science major from Taiwan, things are a little different.

For the past three months, Kao’s mother has been living and sharing a one-bedroom apartment with him above Antifreeze, the clothing store on Main Street.

“She sleeps in the bed, and I sleep on floor. It’s really not that good for me,” he laughed. “But she has been taking care of a lot of stuff for me, like cooking and cleaning.”

Kao, who has resided in the United States for about 10 years on a student visa, has lived and gone to school in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma City (during the Oklahoma City bombing), Texas and California.

Throughout his time in the states, Kao has been used to his parents visiting once or twice a year but only for about one to two weeks at a time.

The reason for his mother’s long stay is she is trying to get her U. S. citizenship and will probably stay in Kent until the end of this semester, Kao said.

After this semester, Kao’s mother is then going to stay with his sister at the University of Missouri. Kao’s father decided to stay in Taiwan and continue working during his wife’s stay in the states, he said.

Although his mother does not bother him most of the time, there are little arguments between the two of them and times when Kao does not want to talk to her.

“Her trying to control me bothers me the most,” Kao said. “Like most parents, she always wants to do what she wants to do, or she wants me to do something for her. I’m still in that mood where I want to be by myself. “

Even though his mother is adjusting well to American lifestyle, the parties next door to them do bother her, Kao said.

Kao said both of his parents eventually want to move to the United States and attain their citizenship. Kao hopes to gain his U. S. citizenship as well but does not want to stay in the states.

“I want to go back to Taiwan after this,” he said.

Contact features correspondent Jessica Sprowl at [email protected].