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Before he could afford a car, and after his bike broke, a determined Sam Yang walked several kilometres across Warrnambool to get to English lessons.
Mr Yang’s tutor, Doreen Risbey, said the story was testament to the character of the 31-year-old she started helping soon after his arrival five years ago.
Mr Yang was born and raised in what he describes as “very poor countryside” in China’s south, in conflict-filled territory also claimed by Myanmar. At 14, he moved to Taiwan by himself to study, eventually receiving a university degree in architecture and design.
Mr Yang worked to support himself, and when he finished, he decided he wanted to live and work overseas for two years – first in Australia, then in England.
“My plan changed,” he said. “This is the first town I came to in Australia and I never left. I love this town.”
Soon after arriving, Mr Yang worked at a Warrnambool restaurant before getting a job at Midfield Meat, which he has held for four years. He worked hard in his spare time to learn English from TV and newspapers, and gained qualifications to help him get sponsorship on a 457 visa this January. Mr Yang works as a contract manager and beef boner but worries his future could be jeopardised by legislative changes.
He said he loved Warrnambool’s natural environment, particularly fishing.
“We are surrounded by the river and the sea, which provides a peaceful place for living,” he said.
Workers from Korea, Japan, Thailand and China stick together, and Mr Yang said his bond with his housemates was strong because they struggled to connect with the wider community.
“We come from different places and we cook different dishes but we eat together and we look after each other,” he said. “I want to make local friends, but honestly, I don’t really know how.”
Mr Yang said he and some other foreign-born workers had experienced racism, with people shouting at them from cars and making offensive gestures.
“We want to be part of the community,” he said. “I really hope the community and the young people embrace us and can be more friendly, even just by giving a smile. I want to become a local and do something for the community if I get the chance.”
Mr Yang, who wants to stay for many years and gain permanent residency, wished an English reading group existed in Warrnambool to help him meet people.
Ms Risbey has voluntarily tutored dozens of foreign-born workers.
“I really admire what these young people do, coming to the other side of the world to improve their lives in a foreign-speaking environment,” she said, describing Mr Yang in particular as “amazing”.
“He could hear what he needed to learn and he used to ask really precise and astute questions,” she said. “He studied so much.”
Midfield Meat’s Colin McKenna said Mr Yang was a good worker.