Wow! I’m so glad these authors took the time to create this beautiful book. This book moved me so much with its beauty, authenticity, and creativity—from the stories, the photos, the fashion, to the interspersed history throughout. Everything was thoughtfully assembled and I could feel the heart beating on every page.
From the surface, Chinatown Pretty can seem like a book simply about fashion. But it’s so much deeper than just nice outfits. Most of the clothes from the seniors in these pages are from decades ago, or are hand-me-downs from someone else—sometimes their grandchildren. Through their clothes, we’re given a glimpse of their lives and their history. I was moved by the numerous seniors who were active in their communities, sometimes doing volunteer work because they didn’t want to “freeload” by getting social security. They wanted to give back. How incredible, this un-entitled mindset.
I appreciated the history given about the various Chinatowns and their differences. This history, paired with the stories of the seniors, occasionally brought me to tears. Maybe it’s because I read this while in Europe for the summer after spending a year in Asia, where I felt so comfortable in my skin. It made me think of the difficulty of being in a country where you have to prove yourself and rebuild, be resourceful in order to survive. Sometimes, fashion is more than just clothes. It’s how we are able to choose how we present ourselves to the world, to the people around us. For seniors, especially minority seniors, who are often considered the invisible citizens of society, I am sure that choosing what to wear can play a part in how to become uninvisible in a way that gives agency back to the person. I understand this.
I see you, Chinatown seniors. Thank you for sharing your stories with us.