Stephanie
BORn
United kingdom
year of birth
1985
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I had this as a present from my uncle when I was 8 until now. I never take it off and because it is 24 carat, it doesn't discolour. It’s something that goes with everything. It's long, it goes underneath clothes and it's been with me on all my travels.
I would say no matter what generation it is, gold will be important in Chinese culture. When I wear it, I might not always think about it, but you can't get away from the fact that it's a big part of my family history and their movements, they would always bring their gold with them.
I've learnt from that and the most important thing in my wardrobe is the gold. So I would always bring that with me anywhere I would go to. If anything happens, I would pack my bags and I would take the gold. It's something that has been implemented from the family, it’s a history that is instilled.
This history isn’t unique to me, its a part of a wider migratory importance for the Chinese that have moved. Similarly if you think about other Asians like Pakistanis, their relationship to gold jewellery is similar to overseas Chinese. You can't help in remembering that migratory background and that importance is ingrained into you from a young age. In that way, while also being a gift, it does remind me of my family's journey.
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當我8歲的時候，我伯伯送我這條金項鏈作為禮物。我從來沒有把它取下來過。因為它是24K的，所以不會褪色。這條項鏈配什麼都好看。它很長，可以藏在衣服裡面，它陪我到過所有我去的地方。
我認為無論是哪代人，金飾在華人文化里都很重要。當我帶著它的時候，我可能不會想起它。但是你不得不承認，它是我的家庭歷史中很重要的一部分。家人去到哪裡，他們的金首飾就帶到了哪裡。
我意識到，我衣櫃裡面最重要的東西就是金首飾。所以無論我去哪裡，我都會帶著它們。如果發生了什麼事，我可以打包行李，帶走首飾。金首飾是深深植入我家族裡，隨著時間推移沈澱下來。
這段歷史並不只是對我個人獨一無二，她在華人移民史中也有一席之地。其他亞洲人，比如巴基斯坦人，他們和金飾的關係和海外華人很類似。
你會不由自主的想到那段移民背景。當你還小的時候，它的意義就已經在你身上扎根了。這個禮物提醒我我家族的旅途。