Children’s Blanket

By: Lilly Liu

Creators – Wang Xinmei (Chinese naming order)
Place – Nanjing, China
Date Created – Circa 1990s
Institution – N/A
Language – English
Collection – N/A
Content Description - The quilt is simplistic, it just made out of one cut of fabric sewn together and filled with cotton. The fabric is also made out of cotton and has a youthful print on it. The print is blue plaid in the background and is adorned with teddy bears either holding a soccer ball or flowers and scripts that say “Happy.”
Type – Blanket

Keywords: Immigration, Class, Intergenerational Relations

My artifact is a quilt that my grandmother made for me. My parents first immigrated to the United States before me, leaving ten months where I was left in China with my grandmother. Then my parents came back and picked me up. The quilt is significant because it was one of the few items that I was attached to and then also brought to the United States. Although it is not a luxury item, it was then passed down to my sister. The quilt is important because it connects my grandmother, my sister and me.

The artifact implies historical themes of the Asian American: immigration, class, intergenerational relations. The artifact helps demonstrate my family’s immigration story. It shows the importance of a STEM career in getting and keeping a visa here. It also shows the importance of extended family support in completing an immigration journey. Lastly is shows the intergenerational acculturation gaps between immigrants and their children and even between siblings.

It first illuminates the connections of historical context and foreign policy in influencing immigration laws. That means that the Asian American demographic is heavily based off of circumstances outside their control. The Hart Cellar Act of 1965 which changed the national origins system to one that focused on reuniting families and meeting the labor market demand for skilled labor, greatly impacted who was allowed to enter the United States. That one change almost directly allowed my family to immigrate. It also shows the difficulties of being an immigrant including staying in the United States. Lastly, even if one gets to stay in the United States challenges persist including cultural differences.