This dictionary tells the story of my family. My great-great-grandfather was a Chinese man who immigrated to Mexico. While in Mexico, he purchased this dictionary and taught himself a new tongue in a country he was not familiar with in order to be successful. The story of my family is told in this single object: from Chinese immigrants escaping tough situations, to successful Mexican citizens. Juan Yen Ley left this object as his heirloom, and it was passed first to his oldest son, who then he passed it to his sister, Maria de Los Angeles. She passed away in May 2015 and my grandfather inherited the dictionary, and not until my mother told me that she would be keeping a dictionary in our house, did I ask where it came from and the story behind it. I learned the whole story of the “Ley” family from just a dictionary. It is important to keep this dictionary in our family because it represents our tradition and the success of our ancestors.

– Erika Pichardo-Ley

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