Nathan Yin

Before I was even born, my family had already been torn apart by the brutal persecution of Falun Gong. My father had been illegally detained for his faith, and my mother was forced to go into hiding to avoid capture shortly after giving birth to me. However, she was also found and illegally detained. Thus, I grew up under my grandmother’s care without my parents by my side.

From a very young age I tasted the meaning of “patience” and “longing.” I wasn’t sure how many years had passed before my father was allowed to occasionally return home. Yet his appearances didn’t mark the beginning of a happy life for us, as the police continued to come to our home to harass and threaten us, causing my family to live in fear day after day. The elderly in the family were afraid that their family members would be taken away again, and sometimes they would even urinate from fear when they heard the phone ringing. I was still young at that time, and I don’t remember many things so clearly, but I will always remember the day of my birthday. Before my dad left that morning, I happily said to him, "Dad, today is my birthday. Can you buy me a big cake when you come back in the evening? A very big one!" Dad smiled and agreed. That night, our whole family cooked a table full of dishes and waited for my dad to come back with the cake to celebrate my birthday. One hour passed, and then two hours passed…

Everyone started to get nervous, but being so young, I was the only one still naively looking forward to my father and the big cake. We waited and waited, but eventually it wasn’t my father that showed up, it was the police who came to our door with a detention notice. The food was already cold, but our hearts were even colder.

And just like that, Dad was sentenced to another three years in prison, and we spent another three years waiting and suffering. Later, we were able to immigrate to the United States. For me, this was not just a change of country to live in, but finally a chance to escape the days of fear and sleepless nights. 

Soon after, I joined Shen Yun Performing Arts. I wanted to use dance to tell my story and to speak out for the kind people who are still being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party. Whenever I stand onstage, I think of the families who have lost their freedom and are struggling because of the persecution - just like my family once did. For me, this is not just a job, but a destiny that allows me to personally expose the evil under the light.

I know that not everyone has witnessed the evil deeds of the CCP, but I hope that through my dance, more people will know that the persecution of Falun Gong in China is still going on. I grew up in fear and pressure, but now I still stick to my beliefs because I know that the light of faith will eventually dispel the haze of tyranny. I believe that one day, everyone will be able to walk freely on the path of faith in a world without fear.