My parents are both professors and they now live in a brand new four-bedroom house in an upper-middle-class suburb in Philadelphia.

CNN: Your e-mails: Defining the Asian-American experience

"The tradition of Congress of providing support for Americans in times of crisis, no matter where they live across this great country, lives on in today's vote in the House of Representatives, " New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, said in a joint statement.

BBC: US House approves Sandy aid package of $51bn