“Nothing. It’s gone. Our restaurant is burned down. Here, talk to mom, tell her to stop crying.”

Ru Zhao, Class of 2010, heard his prideful mother’s voice, holding back tears, come over the phone.

He tried to tell her everything would be okay, that they would find work again.

“I was just trying to make my mom feel less sad about it,” he said.

Zhao had just begun a 40-minute League of Legends game at his friend’s apartment in Rochester, New York when he got the call from his father, Shan Zhao, that his family’s restaurant, On-On Chop Suey in Ferguson had been destroyed during the protests over the grand jury’s decision in the Michael Brown case on Nov. 25.

Throughout the entire phone call, Ru stared blankly at the screen before him.

He wasn’t in Rochester, New York playing a video game with a friend, his mind was hundreds of miles away in St. Louis, Missouri, his American hometown.

He could only think about what was going to happen to his parents, his family.

The 24-year-old MHS graduate somberly told his friend what had happened and walked back to his apartment.

“I was just thinking about all the stuff, and how much we had gone through,” he said. “It feels like every time we are so close to reaching happiness, we get knocked down. It’s like growing a fruit for years, and having someone just squash it.”

Humble Beginnings

In Guizhou, China, Ru’s father worked as a physics teacher at the local middle school, where his mother worked as a lunch lady.

He remembers fondly a place where stores and markets could be reached on foot or bicycle, a place where friends were plentiful, a place where he was happy.

In Nov. 2002, an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS, a disease that claimed the lives of 774 citizens, began in his home province. Because of this, Ru and his family moved to the United States on Sept. 28, 2003.

Because of the transition, he was forced to retake sixth grade in the U.S.

“It felt like we lost our ears, eyes, feet, our home, and everyone we ever knew,” he said.

The Zhao’s moved in with Ru’s aunt and uncle, who directed them to a restaurant that would provide jobs for them, a restaurant named On-On Chop Suey in Ferguson, MO.

Because of this, Ru explained that his family owes his uncle about $15,000 due to legal fees and expenses.

“It was a stressful time,” he said. “My parents would argue a lot due to money.”

The transition to America wasn’t easy for Ru or his family. Because of his early education in the English language, he was the one who paid bills and went to the store. He remembers, quite vividly, arguments with his parents over his shyness.

Brink of Success

But his luck seemed to change as his education progressed.

Ru recalled a teacher he had in middle school, a teacher that took time out of her class to teach him English and help him further understand the lessons.

Without this teacher and the friends he met throughout his middle school and high school careers, he doesn’t think he would have made it.

While his father was out of work for a while, Ru worked at On-On Chop Suey the summer before his senior year at MHS.

“We don’t own the property, but we have done so much to make our business successful,” he said.

When his parents took over the restaurant, they were making close to no profit.

“My parents decided to open during Sundays, and even most holidays like July 4^th and Thanksgiving,” he said.

Throughout the past two years, Ru looked forward to phone calls from his parents which almost always brought news of good business.
His parents seemed happy.

“It’s gone.”

While surfing the internet in New York, Ru came across stories about race and police brutality; he read about protests, some peaceful, some not throughout his hometown in America.

During the unrests in Ferguson he called his parents every day to make sure they were okay, hoping for more stories of good business and happiness.

But when his father called him, Ru knew something was wrong.

Someone had set fire to the business plaza in Ferguson.

On-On Chop Suey was destroyed.

“Seeing a business slowly grow and develop a base of frequent customers due to years of handwork and having that happen to us is really devastating,” Ru said. “I know my parents are much more devastated.”

Now the Zhao’s are faced with one of their biggest tasks: uncertainty.

Mumtaz Lalani, the owner of the business plaza where On-On Chop Suey resides, explained that Prime Beauty, a beauty store in the plaza was completely destroyed during the protests. He said that Ru’s parents’ business may be repaired but he hasn’t been able to get the figures and estimates from his insurance company and architects.

After the holidays, Mumtaz said he should have a better idea of what kind of rebuilding process can be started. He added that because Ru’s parents don’t speak English very well, they may not be getting important information from their own insurance company.

Ru’s parents currently hold temporary jobs working at different restaurants but they would like to own their own business again.

“I think it’s going to be difficult [with] people leaving the area, and lots of things destroyed,” Ru said.

With his family’s business destroyed, Ru decided to connect with people in one of the first ways he learned how: online.

“My Story”

On Nov. 26, the day before Thanksgiving, he posted a touching 16-minute video on YouTube entitled “My Story” that explained the story of his immigration to the United States and the beginnings of his parent’s business.

In the video, Ru described himself as “an ordinary typical looking Asian nerd.”

He ended “My Story” with his opinion on the events unfolding across the country.

“There’s a difference between protest, showing someone you are standing up for something, and revenge, hurting someone in return because you are hurt,” he said. “It’s like you are ruling through intimidation instead.”

He added that people shouldn’t choose sides and fight against each other to achieve equality.

“It’s going to be long before that happens, but society is going in that direction,” he said.

Ru’s main reason for making the video was to show how everyone has a story and that understanding each other is the solution to most of society’s problems.

“I understand if you don’t agree with me and I don’t want to offend anybody,” he said at the end of the video.

Glimpse of Hope

After posting his story, Ru received positive support from his high school friends, some he didn’t even think he was close to.

Several supporters convinced him to create a GoFundMe account for people to donate to fixing the restaurant, something his parents were almost too proud to allow.

“They said since they got temp jobs for a few months working at a friend’s restaurant, they feel bad since they can still sustain,” he said.

Within one day, friends, family, and anonymous strangers donated over $1,000 to his parent’s rebuilding process.

Ru has kept his Facebook up to date with how the donation process is going and how grateful he is for everyone that’s helped him raise over $7,000.

Despite all of the uncertainty surrounding his parents’ business, Ru explained that he remains hopeful.

He wants to thank the people that are helping his family through this turbulent time.

“Tragedy brings out the worst in people,” Ru said. “But sometimes it brings out the best in people.”

He hopes that after hearing his story, people will see him as more than just “an ordinary, typical looking, Asian nerd.”

He hopes that people will learn to understand each other and come together in times of unrest because, after all, everyone has a story.

To donate to help Ru’s family click here.