Because everyone in my family from my grandfather to my brother wears a jade necklace, my paternal grandparents purchased one for me the day I was born. It is a necklace is made of jade and has a silver chain. Jade is known in the Chinese culture as a representation of soul, immortality, and luck. My grandmother, who I'm very close with, always told me to wear it and I will have good luck. It is popular in the Chinese culture to wear jades. My grandmother, Lai Hing Cheung Shek is from the city of Fuzhou, in southeast China. She and my grandmother moved to Hong Kong together before immigrating to the United States for a better life in 1979. My grandfather had come to America first and then she followed with their daughter and son (my father). They first began their American lives in Virginia before moving to New York. In New York, they opened up their own restaurant to earn a living. Throughout her whole journey, my grandma was wearing her own jade necklace which not only gave her luck but also gave her a piece of her own culture that she could keep with her. Although this same jade necklace was not passed down from generation to generation, the tradition of wearing a jade was passed down. This tradition connects my family to each other as well as to our culture.

– NS

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