My grandpa is the foundation of my family. He grew up in China, near the natural terrain, where he would work to gather supplies for his family. He was fortunate enough to make it to the States, where he began to work at a restaurant. However, with opportunities there is always a stepback. For my grandpa it was the experience of leaving his family behind. He came to the U.S. alone, trying to make a living so that he could later get my grandma and dad in the States with him. He bought a house (2001), his first big purchase since he came here. Still, the same house my family lives in today.  He always had passion and the skills for construction. Construction for the house was always done by him which resulted in the stable living conditions my family can live under. I always think about the hardships he had to go through for me to live the way I do today. He lived with the thought of being able to bring his family to the States. He lived knowing how proud my grandma would be to finally step foot on this foreign land of opportunities. How did I know all of this? It was all written in his notebooks (dates, information, bills), where he kept his story and knowledge. The notebook is his legacy. Note-taking is still part of him today, and I’m able to witness it.

– Shirley Zheng

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