I remember being very young hearing a story about my grandma that broke my heart. My aunt says my grandma would work all day cleaning ships and would come home filthy. She was dirty from head to toe, the only things clear were her eyes. This was shocking for me to hear. She was always positive and laughing and joyous. But my grandma worked her entire life, put in an arranged marriage at 14, raised her five children by herself, and moved to the U.S. with nothing. Never did I see her cry or down or complain. She took care of her children and grandchildren without a single complaint. I wonder sometimes the courage it takes to move to the U.S. without anything. How she faced ridicule and hate from being poor and never good enough for my grandfather’s mother. She did it without complaint and she never let the hate get to her.
