From this jade necklace came possibly the cheesiest and romantic story I have ever heard. Back in 1988, my parents met in a high school classroom freshman year. There were strict rules that banned dating, but being classmates, my parents talked every single day and gradually my father developed feelings for my mother. Unfortunately, near the end of 1989, he found out he was immigrating to America. At the time, my mother simply regarded my father as a friend and was apparently quite popular. Long story short, my father confessed and gave her the jade necklace and a music box to ensure that she would not forget him after he moved. After moving to America, my father and mother communicated continuously through letters. They wrote letters for 5 years and my father claims that he never stopped because he knew my mother was going to be his wife, that she was the only one for him. When he finally went back to visit China, my parents dated for 2 months and got married to bring my mom to America. This necklace represents their strong and ongoing love. How hard must it have been to leave someone you love behind? How hard must it have been to continue a relationship just through letters when they were both on separate continents? It was definitely a very cheesy story to hear and my brother and I laughed a lot, perhaps because it was the story of my own parents, but the amount of perseverance that they both had even though they were miles and miles away is really something I admire.

– Emily Li

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant