This is a bead sculpture of a dragon made by my grandma. Going back thousands of years in Chinese culture, the dragon has always been seen as a great legendary mythical creature, with many Chinese emperors using the dragon to symbolize their impressive power and brilliance.  Along with that, the dragon also represents having characteristics of strength, perseverance, ambition, intelligence, and fortune. There is even a saying in Chinese — "望子成龙 " (for boys) and "望女成凤 " (for girls) — that parents use to describe their child and their successes and accomplishments, the literal translation being "hoping one's son to become a dragon" and "hoping one's daughter to become a phoenix". And every day when I look up at this symbolic figure sitting on the shelf of my living room, I am reminded of its meaning to stay strong and accomplish the things I want to do in life.

– Fiona Huang

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