She's been separated from her parents and siblings for some 30 years now. In well-off overseas Chinese families, parents were reluctant to see their children return. But the "new China" provided free room and board and preferential treatment in education for young overseas Chinese who returned. For overseas Chinese of less substantial means, this was their only chance at a formal education.
家境好的華僑子弟，父母捨不得；但對那些家境不好的華僑青年來說，「新中國」對願意返國定居的歸僑青年，提供免費食宿與就學優惠，這是他們唯一能接受正規教育的契機。