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On August 1st, 1927 the kingdom of China would find itself embroiled in a long lasting civil war against the Kuomintang-led government and the rising forces of the Chinese Communist Party. The worse of the civil war was fought after World War II had ended and Japanese occupation had ceased, leading to an even bloodier conflict between the two opposing forces of government. Intermittent battles would occur throughout this time until finally in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party would gain victory and complete control over mainland China.

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Beginning of Japan's Invasion of China - World War II Pacific Theater

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July 7th, 1937 would officially mark the beginning of the Japanese invasion and occupation of China over an incident known as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. This would be known to represent the growing conflict of the second Sino-Japanese war and mark one of the beginnings of the Pacific Theater of World War II against the Axis ally, Japan. The result of this would be the eventual occupation and slaughter of the then Chinese capital, Nanking. Eventually, throughout World War II, the Japanese would invasion and decimation would continue to worsen within mainland China and throughout the Asian-Pacific regions, leaving the country wrought with turmoil, poverty, and death. China would finally be liberated from Japanese occupation on September 2, 1945, followed by the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949 and the birth of the communist People's Republic of China.

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Following the end of the Chinese civil war and the establishment of the new Communist government, China would find itself in a cultural revolution headed by Communist party chairman Mao Zedong. The cultural revolution's aim was to purge China from any remaining remnants of the old ways, specifically the traditionalist practices leftover from China's dynastic era, as well as any capitalist sentiments. This was done by mobilizing China's youthful intellectuals and students by encouraging them to adhere to Mao Zedong's Communist ideals in addition to disrupting educational institutions. These youths would come to be known as the Red Guard. Eventually, conflict would ensue between Mao Zedong's Red party and its opposition leading to riots and more militarized enforcement of the Communist regime. Massacres would occur intermittently throughout this time and famine would become a pressing and growing issue throughout the country. Thousands of citizens were imprisoned, killed, and/or unemployed until the revolution would eventually meet its end with Mao Zedong's death in September 1976.

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My mother, now known as Amy Lai ah Wong, was born on July 11th, 1976 during the cultural revolution. She was born in the Guangdong Province of China in the southern region, specifically on the outskirts of Guangzhou city within its rural village communities. During this time, my mother tells me that right before her birth her father was arrested by the communist party's enforcers and was luckily eventually released without major issues. However, she tells me that her father still struggled to find work afterwards and her family often went hungry during this time. She tells me that the country was struggling not only with the ongoing revolution, but also from recovering from two wars. Famine was common and she states that eating something as simple as milk or meat was rare for her family during this time. Although they did have access to education during this time of her life, she tells me that it was not comprehensive and she rather spent her time playing in the mountain with her siblings and friends. She remembers her childhood in China as one of hardship, but also bittersweet memories. She notes that her province in China, the southern most province was hardest hit by these wars due to the fact that that Guangzhou was a major trade port for China, and that this poverty was deeply entrenched within China's history much earlier than when she was born.

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Immigration to the United States - My mother pictured on second to the right side (white shoes)

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Eventually, because of the poor economic state of China, my mother and her family decided to immigrate to the United States on February 9th, 1989. She says that her family was luckily sponsored by her uncle to come to the U.S. and they eventually settled in San Francisco. She often tells me about her experience coming to the U.S. and how she was so excited to see so many things she never saw back home. One thing she always gushed about was the food here in the U.S. how the meals were so big and delicious, and how there was always meat to eat. She also often talks about her experience in school learning English and navigating a completely new and unfamiliar environment. She always says that she was lucky to be where she was, because she was able to meet a large community of immigrants and make lifelong friends while at school. Not only that, but the opportunity for education was extremely important to her as well, and she says that she valued it a lot. Although my mother often says she missed home during this time, she says that she is ultimately grateful that she was able to come to an accepting community here in the U.S. and it made the adjustment to a new country much easier.

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In May 1994 my mother graduated from high school. She tells me that this was a big moment in her life for her because she felt that she could finally step into adulthood and become independent. Coming from an impoverished background in her home country, she felt that this was one of the proudest moments of her life. I remember while I was going through high school as well, she would always emphasize to me the importance of finishing high school at the very least because it was the baseline of making a better future for yourself. I can see how her thinking was influenced by her experiences and I can now appreciate how they differed from mine at the time.

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After graduating high school, my mother continued her education at City College of San Francisco. She says that she cannot remember what her exact major was, and unfortunately she did not complete her degree. Although, she does say that college was a fun experience for her to not only learn new things but also meet new people and experience new things as well. She says that she met some of her most long-time friends while at college and traveled for the first time by herself and with friends using her own finances. She says that this was a period of growth and learning for her as she transitioned into adulthood, so she does not regret the fact that she was unable to complete her degree and thinks back fondly of this time.

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My mother says that she met my father when she was 21 years old through a mutual friend. After dating for a while, they eventually had my brother on January 3rd, 2001. She talks about her experience having a child so young as something she does recommend to me personally as she does with she got to travel more. However, she also says that she doesn't regret having a child and talks about her first experience with pregnancy and child rearing with humor, how everything felt so difficult but rewarding at first but now she can look back and laugh. She always says that my brother was a gift to her because he was such a sweet child and which contributed to her decision to have a second child (thank goodness for me!). She also says that the moment my brother was born, she felt like she could see how her future would look with her family and was excited for it.

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9/11 Terrorist Attack on the Twin Towers

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On September 11th, 2001, there were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks carried out by a group known as al-Qaeda. That day, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners scheduled to travel from the East Coast to California. Two of these planes struck the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City. One struck the Pentagon in Virginia. The last crashed in a field in Pennsylvania due to the efforts of passengers on the plane fighting against the hijackers and redirecting the plane. 2,996 total people across these three locations died during this tragedy. They say that everyone who was alive and old enough, remembers where they were that day and what they were doing exactly. My mother is the same, and she tells me that she remembers clearly sitting on her bed pregnant with me while watching the news on TV about the incident; how my brother was laying innocently beside her as she watched on and while my dad was at work. She says that a lot changed after this attack, not only in the U.S. but across the world as America began to make concentrated war efforts in the middle east in response to this attack. She also says that how Americans travel has changed drastically as a result of this incident and that she will always remember where she was.

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On April 16th, 2002 my mother had her second child, me! She always complains to me how this pregnancy was much more difficult compared to my brothers and how she knew I would be the trouble child before I was even born because of this. She joked that even the birth was more difficult as well, and lo and behold she was right. I was a much fussier baby than my brother and even to this day she says I'm much more of a handful (guilty as charged). However, she also tells me that she is grateful as well because she says my brother and I complement each other perfectly this way with one child being more mischievous and the other more well-behaved. She always tells us that having siblings, especially siblings close in age, is so important because they are your first friend in life as well as the last person to know all versions of you. This was something she imparted to my brother from a young age, to value each other and our family because it is through family and friends that we can find strength and support when we need it the most. I think that this is one lesson that she has taught me that has stuck for a long time and I am also grateful for her and all of my family for being here with me.

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Officially legally married to husband, Wayne Li

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On February 12th, 2006 my mom and dad both officially became legal spouses. They tell my brother and I that their decision to not get married when they had my brother was firstly because they did not have enough finances, and secondly because they didn't think it was necessary. My mother said that regardless of that paper or not, that we were family already. However, they both decided it would be more beneficial to get officially married for legal reasons. My mom thinks fondly back on this day because our whole family got to dress up, and she says that a part of her always did dream about getting married through a ceremony. She says that this is one of the happiest memories she has because we got to all celebrate together as a family even if they didn't have a large ceremony and that she is grateful to have so many loved ones.

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Beginning in 2007, the American economy began to see its worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. It began in 2007 with losses on mortgage-related financial assets, causing a strain on global financial markets which eventually led into the downturn and a recession. Later in 2008 the economic situation continued to worsen to the point where the label of Great Recession was applied and eventually bottomed in 2009 before beginning a slow recovery. The main cause of the recession was the lack of regulation on financial lending, particularly on mortgage lending from banks to borrowers who could not actually pay it back. It eventually began to come to an end once the Federal Reserve stepped in to provide monetary accommodations and regulations, leading to a new wave of reform for banking and financial lending practices. During this time was when my family actually was able to move out of my grandparents house and buy our own house. My mom says that we got lucky during this time and she was happy to be able to finally afford our own home. Additionally, during this time my father began working two jobs to supplement our income, so my mom began taking care of my brother and I by herself more often, and she remembers it being a tiring time financially and physically.

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Throughout the years my mother had always wanted to go back and visit her home country to see what has changed and reconnect with her homeland. She was able to do this in 2017 when our family visited together. She has always loved traveling and history, so she not only returned to her hometown, but also managed to travel to many different cities and historical sites to learn more about China. She says that this was a really bittersweet moment for her because so much had changed from what she remembers, but that it was also exciting to see a new China, different from the one of her childhood. She also got to see family and friends that she had not met in a long time, so it was a really fun and nostalgic experience for her.

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Nowadays with her children being more grown up, my mother has had a lot of free time on her hands now as a housewife. She spends much of her time gardening or working on puzzles. She also travels a lot with her husband when possible, and is ultimately enjoying her life to the fullest at the moment. She says that she hopes to travel to more countries in the future and learn about their heritage and cultures. She had always dreamed of being a traveling food blogger, so hopefully she will partially fulfill this dream soon!