My family originally came from southern China, specifically the Guangdong province. My  parents were both born here, and my brother and I were born in Hong Kong. My parents decided to immigrate over to America almost as soon as my little brother was born. We were separated for a short period of time when we were first moving over to America, as my father and I left first because my mother was attending to my newborn little brother. There was a period of around a month where my family was separated. However, after around one month, my entire family finally arrived in Quincy, Massachusetts. My father's parents moved here long ago and he had been separated from them for a long time. Since they are now starting to get older, it was decided that we would move to where they were staying in order to look after and care for them better. My aunt, or my father’s sister, also moved to America with his parents, so a major factor in moving was in order to be closer to my father’s family. When my family moved from China, we did not bring over many items besides what we needed. One of the few objects that was brought over, was the beckoning cat charm. This cat charm represents good luck in Chinese culture and it is a decoration piece that many families have. The charm, being one of the few things brought over, reminds me of childhood, my culture, and my origins. Every time I look at the cat, I am reminded of all the hardships my family had to endure and how no matter what happens, luck will be with us and we will be able to overcome. 
 

– JC

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant