Li Zhang 
The Reluctant Migrant’s Daughter [EPUB ebook] 
A memoir

Stöd

The Reluctant Migrant’s Daughter

Li only realised who her parents were when she was five. The fifth of eight children to migrants from China, Li grew up in her family’s shophouse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya. Generally ignored by her elders, but regularly beaten and cursed by her guardian, Li still became infused with her father’s longing to return to Shanghai, the home he left only reluctantly.

After an often lonely childhood, Li had happy times at high school. She found the loving paternal figure she craved in the father of her future husband, only to lose him after a few years. Li’s marriage was at times blighted by her relationship with her mother-in-law. Yet, Li remained loyal to her husband, raising four children while gaining university degrees in Singapore and Sydney.

Now in her early eighties, Li reflects on her life, from the early years of physical abuse and psychological deprivation, through the joys and trials of marriage, travel, racism, depression, and her hopes for her grandchildren’s generation.

Li offers her story to give voice to events experienced by many but seldom discussed. She sounds a warning to immigrants who visualise a new, untroubled life, and suggests patience to host nations, where the traumas of new residents might not be known or understood.

Finally, Li’s self-exploration enables her to recognise why she has always felt such a connection to China, a country she finally visited at the age of 45.

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Innehållsförteckning

Forward

1 Historical context

Shanghai

Zhang family – the planning

The best laid plans

Zhang family establishes itself in Nanyang

A portrait of Zhang Yu – Pa Pa

A portrait of Foong Ying – Mah Mah

A portrait of Hilda

A portrait of Little Miss Mary

2 The world of little Li

Love in a traditional Chinese family

3 Japanese occupation of Kuala Lumpur

Zhang family recovery

4 Back to the growing child

The beginning, when I first recall

Japanese marching song

Chinese New Year’s Eve

Later during the Japanese occupation

5 New domestic arrangements

Ah Chieh, the young wife

A portrait of Grandma See and foot binding

Domestic politics in the Zhang household

6 More Zhang family memories

Zhang Yu, Ah Chieh and little Li

Yam cakes and a fall down the stairs

A rickshaw ride

The china doll

Caning

Opium dream

7 ’I love school’

8 Reinstatement of British rule

More young migrant workers

The Zhang family business

The radio

9 My siblings

Brother Kwok – shattered dreams?

Sister Meng

My second brother, Ye

10 Life after Zhang Yu, 1950 – 1952

11 Teenage Life

The world of boys, 1954-1957

The happy student years, 1958-1959

Portrait of KM, my father-in-law

Grace, my mother-in-law

Sister-in-law Chun

12 Marriage

The 1960s

The last word about Grace

13 Australia the first time around

Melbourne, 1967

A musical interlude

An episode of a cat that loved curries

Back to studying

Last months in Melbourne, 1969

14 Politics in Malaysia, 13 May 1969

Death was just around the corner

Aftermath of 13 May 1969

15 Reluctant migration

Time to say ’Goodbye Malaysia’

Sydney, 1977-1979

Melbourne, 1990

Becoming Australian

16 The growing years

Back to the family

17 A portrait of conflict - love and hate

18 My Chinese Odyssey

Life as a mature-age student

Xi’an

Yan’an

Xi’an again

Shanghai

A Portrait of Luk May

More Shanghai

Beijing

19 More travel

Back to Sydney, 1986

The skiing years, 1987 – 1988

Skiing, fun and games

20 The good years

Harbin, 1993

India, Nepal and Thailand

21 My cup runneth over, 1999 – 2000

22 Other endings

23 Have I come full circle?

Music in the night

A final word

Epilogue

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Språk Engelska ● Formatera EPUB ● Sidor 242 ● ISBN 9780646872230 ● Filstorlek 8.3 MB ● Utgivare Zhang Jian Li ● Publicerad 2023 ● Utgåva 1 ● Nedladdningsbara 24 månader ● Valuta EUR ● ID 8744502 ● Kopieringsskydd Adobe DRM
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