As the daughter of an immigrant mother, I have felt removed from the country she grew up in and disconnected from previous generations. Now I consider the role I play in keeping this history alive, honoring those who came before me, whose traumatic experiences paved the way for freedoms I now have.
Foot binding was the grotesque practice of stunting the growth of Chinese girls’ feet to remain tiny through adulthood. It was considered ideal for women’s feet to be around 3 to 4 inches long. My great grandmothers were the last to have bound feet before the practice was banned.
Lotus shoes were worn by Chinese women with bound feet. Although disturbingly small, the shoes were ornate, embroidered and often colorful. As women aged, their clothing became less colorful. My mother recalls her grandmothers wearing black lotus shoes.
In 1941, the Japanese invaded then-Malaya. My grandfather was a young teenager when he had to leave his home and hide in the jungle. Sweet potatoes were the only food to eat during this time. When he returned, until the day he died, he refused to eat sweet potatoes, a reminder of this hardship
The Japanese army occupied several countries and territories during WWII, including then Malaya. Japanese soldiers kidnapped and forced teenage girls into sexual slavery, calling them “comfort women.” During this time, my grandmother cut her hair short and dressed as a boy to avoid attention.
My great aunt was rumored to have died of complications from an underground abortion. This was, and still is perceived as such a shameful way to die that she was by all accounts forgotten and never spoken of again. Abortion is still illegal in Malaysia with only rare medical exceptions.
