My items are a pair of golden metal cranes that were purchased by my great-grandfather in the early 1960s. When my great-grandfather, En-Kuo Lee, immigrated to England from China in the mid 1940s, he wasn’t in possession of wealth or materialistic objects- he immigrated on a U-boat with only his clothes.  He moved to London in search of economic independence and opportunity after fleeing the poverty and devastation of the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. Being able to speak both Chinese and English had its advantages; the BBC hired him as an interpreter and translator, providing him stability and financial support. After settling in England, he decided to open a Chinese restaurant in the early 1960s. After the opening of his restaurant, he purchased one of his first pieces of décor; the golden swans. They were placed in the restaurant, overlooking the customers and business. Since then, it has been passed down to my grandfather, my mom, and me. To our family, it has been viewed as a symbol of his journey, success, longevity, and prosperity. 

– S.T.

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more