Austin Wong

The first scent that comes to senior Austin Wong’s mind when he thinks about his home country of Hong Kong is the simple yet fragrant aroma of soy-sauce steamed freshwater fish. Although Wong is grateful that he was able to move from Hong Kong to America in 2022, Wong misses the nostalgic dish. Having searched for it in America, Wong couldn’t find anything remotely close, mainly because none of the American dishes were cooked by the special people whose dishes he’d grown accustomed to — his grandparents back in Hong Kong.

“[My grandparents] lived with me when I was in Hong Kong for more than five years because we needed to take care of them,” Wong said. “[But my grandparents] did all the household stuff for us because my parents needed to work. [For example], they usually did the laundry [and] cooked delicious things.”

Wong tries to keep in touch with his grandparents via Facetime and WhatsApp, but finds it hard for his grandparents to keep up with the evolving technology. As a result, he has to remain patient when guiding them on how to use video calling.

“[When we talk on the phone] I share about my story in America because it’s fresh for them,” Wong said. “But I [don’t] talk about the problems that I’m facing now [because] I don’t want to make them worried [about] me and my family. [I normally talk about] the days when I was in Hong Kong and how they took care of me when I was a baby [because] they think it’s funny.”

One childhood memory he shares with his grandparents is going to the amusement park and playing a variety of carnival games. 

“They [used to] give me $100 and I stayed there for the whole day,” Wong said. “[At the end of the day], I would use the rest of the money to buy ice cream. I love red bean ice cream but I [can’t find that] in America right now, so I miss that.”

Wong also longs to experience the vibrant Chinese traditional festivals such as the Mid Autumn Festival and Chinese New Year. Although Wong has spent less than six months in America, he already misses the joyful celebrations in which his family used to gather together to enjoy a good meal.

“We used to celebrate all of the Chinese traditional festivals together because Chinese [culture] emphasizes the importance of unity as a family,” Wong said. “I [told] some of my friends [in Hong Kong] that I came to America so then they [took] care of my grandparents. [For example], we have a Chinese traditional festival in Hong Kong called Mid Autumn festival, where we usually eat mooncakes, so my friend [gave] some mooncakes to my grandparents. And then when it was [my grandpa’s] birthday, they brought salmon to my grandfather [because] he loves salmon very much.”

Having grown up in the same household as his grandparents, Wong’s appreciation for them has heightened with their increased physical distance, as it has made him realize their endless patience when raising him and his brother. Although Wong misses his grandparents, geographical barriers and his grandparents’ old age make it difficult for them to get together in person.

“I’m quite happy to be in America, but no matter how happy I am, I still feel like I’ve lost something,” Wong said. “[I feel like we’ve] lost our relationship [because] we are [getting farther] than before. So yeah, it’s a bit sad.”