Very good way telling family stories. Fantastic sketches and paintings! As a Chinese, I just know May flower ship story Of Anglo-Saxons from the textbook. Your family story is unfamiliar to Chinese, just like Chinese story is not familiar to westerners. I write my story as the only daughter born in 1990s family copper mine.
you will follow the journey of an only daughter born in the 1990s’China. It is a story of a girl who fought her way out of a landlocked county through the grueling national exam system to build a life in China’s biggest city Shanghai.
Through my personal narrative as a 33-year-old Chinese woman and through the stories of my family, teachers, classmates, and friends, you will gain a window into the reality of Chinese society and the state of our education system. This is a chronicle of what has truly happened in China over the past few decades. By the time you finish my story, you won’t just know about China; you will have a comprehensive understanding of its soul.
What a breathtakingly beautiful way to tell a story of such great importance. Since Projectkin's very start, I've been talking about how important it is to get your stories told, no matter the form. Here you are demonstrating the compelling power of a form that is so natural and intuitive for you. It is beautiful on so many levels, from structure and story to execution. Bravo, Donna! 👏
Very good way telling family stories. Fantastic sketches and paintings! As a Chinese, I just know May flower ship story Of Anglo-Saxons from the textbook. Your family story is unfamiliar to Chinese, just like Chinese story is not familiar to westerners. I write my story as the only daughter born in 1990s family copper mine.
you will follow the journey of an only daughter born in the 1990s’China. It is a story of a girl who fought her way out of a landlocked county through the grueling national exam system to build a life in China’s biggest city Shanghai.
Through my personal narrative as a 33-year-old Chinese woman and through the stories of my family, teachers, classmates, and friends, you will gain a window into the reality of Chinese society and the state of our education system. This is a chronicle of what has truly happened in China over the past few decades. By the time you finish my story, you won’t just know about China; you will have a comprehensive understanding of its soul.
I love the subject and it's such a wonderful way to treat the searching and uncertainty. I also love the choices you've made visually--where to use color, where it's black and white.
This is amazing! I had a feeling to keep reading and what do you know, up comes the reference to Norma NJ, where my great-grandparents wound up after leaving Bialystock/Ukraine/Russia, Harry and Minnie Miller, lived there about 1903-1954, and their children including my maternal grandmother Mary was born. I wonder if they knew the Matlins.
Small world! Wow. I am sure they must have known each other - especially the kids at school. Do you know any more about where your grandmother lived - what street, what school she went to, synagogue etc? We can compare notes! Th Ben and Frieda were my grandfathers aunt and uncle. He was a baker and badly burned in a fire in the 40s (I think I have to check the date).1
My research suggest the Millers lived on Wallace Street near Peach, or Peach near Wallace. Harry worked part-time as a chazzan at at least one of the shuls, e.g. "the Norma Synagogue" or "Brotherhood Congregation of Norma." I would post images here if I could. Minnie has a memorial plaque in one of the still-existing Norma shuls, was looking at it online recently. Not sure yet about their kids' schools.
I found a lot of stories about my great-aunt & uncles kids playing sports at school. This is from Frieda's obituary: Mrs. Matlin was a member of the Norma Brotherhood Congregation, the ladies auxiliary of Norma Religious School, Norma PTA, Hebrew Women's Benevolent Society, and the Sisterhood of Sheriath Israel Synagogue of Alliance.
Love following your family's trajectory in graphic novel form, Donna. You're doing amazing research and showing us the journey in such an inventive way. Mazel!
Death certificates in the US for the children include both parents name. So see if you can find the death info for any of Lena’s children. Also marriage certificates in NYC contain both parents names and they are available for free on a special website, which I don’t remember the name of off hand. So, check the wedding certificate for any of Lena’s children who were married in New York.
Oh, I know who he is now and I have tons of info! But when I was first talking to my mother, she had no idea what his name was. He’s buried with Lena and, yes, I confirmed both of their identities on my grandfather’s marriage certificate! The real challenge was finding his original name, because his American first name was definitely American. More next month!
Wonderful! I’m glad you figured out how to find that info. I had photographs of people that just said grandmother or whatever, and I finally identified everyone but it took a while
Alas, I only have 2 photos of my great grandmother and none of her husband. I have found a few photos of her family members on Ancestry and in old newspapers. Yeah, it’s totally time consuming!
Very good way telling family stories. Fantastic sketches and paintings! As a Chinese, I just know May flower ship story Of Anglo-Saxons from the textbook. Your family story is unfamiliar to Chinese, just like Chinese story is not familiar to westerners. I write my story as the only daughter born in 1990s family copper mine.
you will follow the journey of an only daughter born in the 1990s’China. It is a story of a girl who fought her way out of a landlocked county through the grueling national exam system to build a life in China’s biggest city Shanghai.
Through my personal narrative as a 33-year-old Chinese woman and through the stories of my family, teachers, classmates, and friends, you will gain a window into the reality of Chinese society and the state of our education system. This is a chronicle of what has truly happened in China over the past few decades. By the time you finish my story, you won’t just know about China; you will have a comprehensive understanding of its soul.
What a breathtakingly beautiful way to tell a story of such great importance. Since Projectkin's very start, I've been talking about how important it is to get your stories told, no matter the form. Here you are demonstrating the compelling power of a form that is so natural and intuitive for you. It is beautiful on so many levels, from structure and story to execution. Bravo, Donna! 👏
And thank you for the tip, Lisa!
Thank you so much, Barbara.
Very good way telling family stories. Fantastic sketches and paintings! As a Chinese, I just know May flower ship story Of Anglo-Saxons from the textbook. Your family story is unfamiliar to Chinese, just like Chinese story is not familiar to westerners. I write my story as the only daughter born in 1990s family copper mine.
you will follow the journey of an only daughter born in the 1990s’China. It is a story of a girl who fought her way out of a landlocked county through the grueling national exam system to build a life in China’s biggest city Shanghai.
Through my personal narrative as a 33-year-old Chinese woman and through the stories of my family, teachers, classmates, and friends, you will gain a window into the reality of Chinese society and the state of our education system. This is a chronicle of what has truly happened in China over the past few decades. By the time you finish my story, you won’t just know about China; you will have a comprehensive understanding of its soul.
Thank you so much. I subscribed to read your story!
Thank you so much！Donna.🌹
I love the subject and it's such a wonderful way to treat the searching and uncertainty. I also love the choices you've made visually--where to use color, where it's black and white.
Thank you so much! It’s definitely an adventure for me.
Wonderful and moving story - beautiful artwork.
Thank you so much!
Fabulous 🙏🌀💖
Thank you!
This is amazing! I had a feeling to keep reading and what do you know, up comes the reference to Norma NJ, where my great-grandparents wound up after leaving Bialystock/Ukraine/Russia, Harry and Minnie Miller, lived there about 1903-1954, and their children including my maternal grandmother Mary was born. I wonder if they knew the Matlins.
Small world! Wow. I am sure they must have known each other - especially the kids at school. Do you know any more about where your grandmother lived - what street, what school she went to, synagogue etc? We can compare notes! Th Ben and Frieda were my grandfathers aunt and uncle. He was a baker and badly burned in a fire in the 40s (I think I have to check the date).1
My research suggest the Millers lived on Wallace Street near Peach, or Peach near Wallace. Harry worked part-time as a chazzan at at least one of the shuls, e.g. "the Norma Synagogue" or "Brotherhood Congregation of Norma." I would post images here if I could. Minnie has a memorial plaque in one of the still-existing Norma shuls, was looking at it online recently. Not sure yet about their kids' schools.
I found a lot of stories about my great-aunt & uncles kids playing sports at school. This is from Frieda's obituary: Mrs. Matlin was a member of the Norma Brotherhood Congregation, the ladies auxiliary of Norma Religious School, Norma PTA, Hebrew Women's Benevolent Society, and the Sisterhood of Sheriath Israel Synagogue of Alliance.
Your work really brings home how disruptive an emigration process is... and how long the journeys were in those days. There was no going home again.
No there wasn’t. Letters were the only way to keep in touch with back home. Even phones were rare in the early 1900s.
Amazing!
Thank you.
Love following your family's trajectory in graphic novel form, Donna. You're doing amazing research and showing us the journey in such an inventive way. Mazel!
Thank you, Robin. May their memories be a blessing.
Amen
Death certificates in the US for the children include both parents name. So see if you can find the death info for any of Lena’s children. Also marriage certificates in NYC contain both parents names and they are available for free on a special website, which I don’t remember the name of off hand. So, check the wedding certificate for any of Lena’s children who were married in New York.
Oh, I know who he is now and I have tons of info! But when I was first talking to my mother, she had no idea what his name was. He’s buried with Lena and, yes, I confirmed both of their identities on my grandfather’s marriage certificate! The real challenge was finding his original name, because his American first name was definitely American. More next month!
https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov
Wonderful! I’m glad you figured out how to find that info. I had photographs of people that just said grandmother or whatever, and I finally identified everyone but it took a while
Alas, I only have 2 photos of my great grandmother and none of her husband. I have found a few photos of her family members on Ancestry and in old newspapers. Yeah, it’s totally time consuming!
This is a brilliant way to tell your family’s immigration story!!! I love it!!!
Thank you! 😍