This ceramic plate is 250 years old. During the Cultural Revolution in China, many of these traditional household items were destroyed. My great-grandparents had hidden this in a well, as well as many of their antiques, to prevent them from being destroyed. Their lives were still dramatically changed after the revolution. This represents the obstacles that my family had to go through. Because of the poverty my family had to endure, my grandmother snuck on a ship and left mainland China in pursuit of a better life for her and her children in Hong Kong. My parents have done the same by moving to the United States for a better future. My grandmother brought this plate with her when she moved to Hong Kong, and my parents brought it to New York as well. This antique allows me to reflect on my ancestry and put all our lives into perspective, because my life would have been vastly different had these experiences not impacted my family. It makes me aware of the fact that my life is so intertwined with historical events that seem to have occurred far away and long ago.

– Tina Wong

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant