Quotes from Lensey Namioka

In America, your ancestors don't matter so much. You're just you .

Then I carefully dipped my brush and wrote the characters for family, country, and book. When the examiner smiled, I knew he liked my work, so I decided to write the hardest character I knew, which was the one for virtue. It took fifteen strokes.

The phrase learn how to walk on bound feet was what struck me the hardest. I suddenly realized that I would never walk naturally again.

Generations of girls had to suffer excruciating pain because somebody unknown had decreed that big feet were unacceptable in upper-class society. It was high time that somebody tried to stop this senseless practice. I was proud that Xueyan and I were among the first to rebel.

Revolution!" cried Grandmother. "What does that have to do with anything? People still have to live, to marry, and to bear children! Your father thinks things will change. Perhaps they will. But men will always be men, and women will always be women. Some things never change!

Respect!'' cried Mother's voice. ''Children owe respect to their parents! We don't have to earn it!

Traditionally the strongest weapon that a Chinese woman had was suicide.