My parents can only recall as far back as their grandparents' stories. As Chinese-American parents that immigrated to the United States over twenty years ago, they, along with my grandparents, have had their fair share of experiences. Both my parents can describe their lives as youngsters during China's cultural revolution. When my mother was studying in graduate school at Beijing University, she was present during the Tiananmen Massacre. Her father, my grandfather, can even tell hour long stories about how he felt as a young child hiding away from invading Japanese during World War II. My father's father has also accumulated many anecdotes about his past as a wartime doctor during the Chinese Civil War. However, the most information about my family's most distant ancestors are the stories about my Grandpa's grandmother, my great great grandma..
My mother describes how my great great grandma was a very strong and healthy woman. She raised many children, but remained extremely selfless throughout her life. At the age of forty, she became a Buddhist and vegetarian. She lived until the age of ninety-eight and enjoyed spending time with here large extended family including my grandpa. As she grew older, she decided that she did not want to burden her children. During the time of poverty in China, many people had little food, and as a result of my great great grandma's selfless character, she chose to save the meager amounts of food for her children and grandchildren. Unfortunately, with the lack of vital nutrition, my great great grandma eventually passed away.
Another interesting story that my mother told me about my family ancestors was about her grandma, my great grandma. My great grandma had devastating experiences during the Japanese invasion in China. When my mother was a young girl, my great grandma described to her many of the traumatic experiences including the loss of her daughter to a Japanese bomb shrapnel. Despite this devastating experience, she told my mother that she still believed there was still goodness and decency in human beings even in some of the Japanese enemies. She recalled how one Japanese army doctor had attempted to save her daughter's life even though they considered each other enemies, and later, my great grandma returned the kindness by giving food to the surrendering Japanese troops.
"WE ARE WHO WE ARE BECAUSE THEY WERE WHO THEY WERE"
-Unknown
My mother describes how my great great grandma was a very strong and healthy woman. She raised many children, but remained extremely selfless throughout her life. At the age of forty, she became a Buddhist and vegetarian. She lived until the age of ninety-eight and enjoyed spending time with here large extended family including my grandpa. As she grew older, she decided that she did not want to burden her children. During the time of poverty in China, many people had little food, and as a result of my great great grandma's selfless character, she chose to save the meager amounts of food for her children and grandchildren. Unfortunately, with the lack of vital nutrition, my great great grandma eventually passed away.
Another interesting story that my mother told me about my family ancestors was about her grandma, my great grandma. My great grandma had devastating experiences during the Japanese invasion in China. When my mother was a young girl, my great grandma described to her many of the traumatic experiences including the loss of her daughter to a Japanese bomb shrapnel. Despite this devastating experience, she told my mother that she still believed there was still goodness and decency in human beings even in some of the Japanese enemies. She recalled how one Japanese army doctor had attempted to save her daughter's life even though they considered each other enemies, and later, my great grandma returned the kindness by giving food to the surrendering Japanese troops.
"WE ARE WHO WE ARE BECAUSE THEY WERE WHO THEY WERE"
-Unknown