11 votes

Tin Chin and Mo Lin were inseparable at the Brooklyn homeless shelter. But one of the men wasn’t who he seemed to be.

Posted by cfabbro
Tags: family, usa.ny.nyc, homelessness, homeless shelters, friendship, immigration, china, assault, crime, extortion, fraud, coronaviruses.covid19, author.sam dolnick, source.the new york times, long read, paywall
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/08/nyregion/brooklyn-homeless-shelter-friendship.html

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Title
He Had a Dark Secret. It Changed His Best Friend's Life.
Published
Jul 8 2022
Word count
3168 words

4 comments

  1. [4]
    JXM
    Link
    This is such a touching story of coincidence and a good reminder that no matter how bad things get, we all just crave a connection with others. I'm glad that they could form a friendship in such...

    This is such a touching story of coincidence and a good reminder that no matter how bad things get, we all just crave a connection with others. I'm glad that they could form a friendship in such harsh circumstances.

    1 vote
    1. [3]
      cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Yeah, I thought it was really bittersweet but still touching too. And also a bit of redemption story as well, given Mr. Chin's past actions towards other Chinese immigrants. It goes to show that...

      Yeah, I thought it was really bittersweet but still touching too. And also a bit of redemption story as well, given Mr. Chin's past actions towards other Chinese immigrants. It goes to show that maybe people really can change for the better if shown some love, kindness, and friendship.

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        JXM
        Link Parent
        I think there was also a bit of Chin having walked a mile in the shoes of the immigrants he took advantage of to it as well. He saw how bad it can get and he realized how vulnerable someone like...

        I think there was also a bit of Chin having walked a mile in the shoes of the immigrants he took advantage of to it as well. He saw how bad it can get and he realized how vulnerable someone like Lin is to predators.

        I was also surprised when they mentioned that Mo Lin had a wife back in China. Imagine not seeing your significant other for three decades!

        1 vote
        1. cfabbro
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          That's a good point about having to walk a mile changing his perspective. I'm sure that was a significant factor as well. And as for people living/working in other countries not seeing their...

          That's a good point about having to walk a mile changing his perspective. I'm sure that was a significant factor as well. And as for people living/working in other countries not seeing their families for years or even decades, that's unfortunately a lot more common than you might think. See: Migrant workers, and remittance. :(

          1 vote