"Ginny's journey isn't just a simple affirmation of the traditional values of growing up in a Chinese laundry, but a perceptive account of American life with all its opportunities, complexities, and injustices yet to be corrected. An immigrant child, a beauty queen, a teacher, a corporate board member, a talk show host, and a national president of one of the oldest civil rights advocacy groups in Washington D.C. are just some of the roles Ginny has played while pursuing her Asian American dreams.”
Gary Mar, Director,
Stony Brook Asian American Center
"This modest memoir is a gem of an introduction to the lives of Chinese Americans and other hard-working immigrant parents and their children."
Franklin Odo, Director
Smithsonian Institute, Asian Pacific American Program
“In this wonderful autobiography, Ginny demonstrates how she came to be the person that she is - confident and strong, warm and personable, proud of her Chinese and Asian heritage and committed to social justice for all. Ginny integrates personal biography and social history seamlessly through delightful storytelling and personal reflection”
Larry Hajime Shinagawa, PhD, Director and Associate Professor, Asian American Studies Program, U of Maryland, College Park
"This is a delightful story of a Chinese American girl of the '1.5 generation’. She is the thread that holds together the diverse patchwork of America. Born in the Old World and arriving in the New at an early age, she is adept at navigating around the shoals of cultural anomalies. Because of her, the Chinese laundry shop immigrants, who are her parents, are able to make this alien land their home.”
Veronica Li, author of Journey Across the Four Seas: A Chinese Woman’s Search for Home
“Ginny’s story is my story. From those humble roots we experienced the disparity of merging two cultures and b being accepted by the dominant society. This book is a beacon to all immigrant youngsters confronting the same problems that we experienced growing up and adjusting to two societies.”
Betty Lee Sung, reknown author and professor at City University of New York
“As a child of the Chinese hand laundry, I applaud Ginny’s success going from ironing board to the corporate board, making community service a major part of her life work and keeping in touch with the heart and should off her life.”
Laura Chin, former Executive Director, Organization of Chinese Americans
"I truly enjoyed reading Ginny’s narrative of her coming into her own. I was struck by its clear, simple flow and yet complexity of the choices she made and the challenges she finessed, on at a time, to become the leader and multi-talented individual and models she is. Ginny has provided a ‘Pilgrims’ Progress’ of how to rise from humble origins to pinnacles of success within the American promise.”
William Poy Lee, author of the Eighth Promise
“As one of Ginny’s closest friends and just when I thought I knew everything about her and her family, she has taught and delighted me with new stories and wisdom with this wonderful work. It its a must read for young adults, family historians and Asian Americans to learn about our heritage.”
Sandra Lee Kawano, Past Chair, Chinatown Health Clinic, NlY
“This book is more than just a story about a young girl’s journey into adulthood. It is a powerful and honest account of an American heroine’s negotiations through life as a perpetual foreigner; the lessons learned about character and nobility, respect and traditions.”
Michael C. Lin, Past National President, Organization Chinese Americans and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Montgomery College
"I recommend this book not only to the young readers who are interested in learning about the experiences of immigrants but also to those who study the history of immigration … It deserves a place in every library and personal reading list”
Dr. Hwa-Wei Lee, Chief of Asian Division, the Library of Congress
