My grandfather and grandmother on my father’s side of the family were born in China, just before WWII. When they were seven, the Japanese began invading northern China. Many people thought that China easily beat the Japanese, but China was unprepared and undersupplied, and the Japanese were underestimated. The Japanese swept across northern China, taking territory and killing the Chinese if they owned any land or a business. The Chou family, (pronounced chew) owned a significant amount of land in northern China. Since this was the front line of the Japanese invasion, they burned and buried evidence of their wealth.  Eventually, my family escaped China, with only a few of their belongings. Among these belongings were the family Chop, which is what people would use to sign letters, seal envelopes, so on and so forth. A chop can be made of a variety of materials, including Stone, Ivory, and Metal, though metal is less traditional and more modern. During the time of my family trying to escape, their first choice was America, because they knew Americans hated the Japanese because of the pearl harbor bombings. However, the chinese exclusion act was still in effect, and they were not allowed to enter America. Instead they went to Brazil, where they were forced to wait out the war with no money and no home. Eventually they made it to America, and the family Chop has been passed down to my father. 
 

– Hudson Chou

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant