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Honoring Mothers This AAPI Heritage Month

AARP employees share Mother s Day stories of tradition resilience and love

Clockwise from top left: Holly Zhang with her daughter Tiffany and sibling, Kenji Forrester with his grandmother Akiko Horiuchi, Andre Lee’s mother Diana Lin Lee, and the Shrestha family Clockwise from top left: courtesy Tiffany Zhang, Sophie C Horiuchi-Forrester, Andre Lee, and Bandana Shrestha , we asked our AAPI employees to tell us about their mothers and how those women shaped their traditions and cultures. They shared tales of dancing with their mothers, celebrating milestones and soaking up wisdom. Read their stories of admiration and love here. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

Andre Lee

Photo courtesy Andre Lee of his mother, Diana Lin Lee Analyst, Office of the Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Washington, D.C. I'm a huge, burly guy, and one of my fondest memories with my mom is learning to sew by hand. She was the head seamstress of a factory in Hong Kong, before marrying my dad. Growing up in Central America, all my clothes outside of American imports were made by her from scratch because the stores didn't sell clothing in my size. Every few months, she would have this routine of gathering every family member's clothes and doing maintenance on them — fixing a busted thread here, a loose button there. As an adult, I have a sewing kit. My wife tells me one of the reasons she knew I was a keeper back when we were dating was because I volunteered to repair all her sentimental pieces (she lamented that her sorority hoodie was falling apart). My mom always repeats this bit of advice, which is very Zen for many things in my life: a bit of care early and often makes things stand the test of time.

Sophie C Horiuchi-Forrester

Photo courtesy Sophie C Horiuchi-Forrester Kenji Forrester making mochi with his grandmother Akiko Horiuchi AAPI Statewide Lead, San Jose Regional Manager San Jose, California Miso and pork go well together. Vegetables should be cut for intended flavor absorption and cooking time. Plate and serve the food at the right temperature. . Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > On Mother's Day — the one day of the year that moms are not supposed to cook — Mom would shake her head with amusement at what we would prepare. She would eat whatever we made, graciously and kindly, knowing that we had tried our best. We lost Mom last year, but the memories of her cooking (and scolding us with love) remain.

Bandana Shrestha

Photo courtesy Bandana Shrestha (right) with her mother, Indira Shrestha Director, Community Engagement Clackamas, Oregon On this first Mother's Day without her, I am thinking about my mother, Indira. She passed away in October after a long decline. and living on the other side of the planet meant I was not able to be by my mother's side when she took her last breath. I am thankful, however, that I was able to visit her twice the year before her health declined. One of those visits was the first time my brother, sister and I spent any significant amount of time together — with each other and our mother — since we were young. How I treasure those memories. My mother exemplified resilience, persistence and service. My mother taught me to never say never, and she always reminded me that women are the bearer of cultures. Indira — maker of music, lifelong learner, writer of books and histories, builder of people and communities, mother, grandmother, bearer of culture — I remember you.

Jenny V Jensen

Photo courtesy Jenny V Jensen (left) with her mother, Yupin Singboonton Jensen Senior Program Specialist Atlanta, Georgia The best piece of advice that my mom ever gave me when things got tough is: “Sabia sabia.” Roughly translated from Thai, this means, “Everything is good, and don't let the world get you down.” I have taken this advice to heart. Even on my worst days, I lift up my head and say, “Sabia sabia,” because things will be better.
AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe has not been easy, but from the start, I committed to isolating from others so I could stay connected to my mom and she could feel comfortable when I visited. We've now had important conversations about everything from race to mental health, and our relationship has deepened. My mom has always been a beautiful blend of strength, gentleness and fun. She is the most caring person in the room, the first person to ask if you need anything to feel comfortable, the first person to try and find a solution, and the only one in my family to crack an unexpected joke that has everyone laughing. When this pandemic is eventually over, I hope to continue to , learning more about who I am through our bond, finding the little joys in life, and enjoying some good food and dance!

Hoan Tchen

Photo courtesy Hoan Tchen of HER grandmother, Hoa Feng Tchen Senior Strategist, Digital Programmatic Marketing Falls Church, Virginia My paternal grandmother was the only grandparent I ever knew, and I am forever grateful. She was born and raised in Xiamen, China, in the early 1920s and narrowly escaped with her life during bombings from the Japanese invasion. She made her way to Vietnam as a single mother of three children, and started her own successful business in a completely new country. She was forced to give up her business as war rippled through Vietnam. She sought out a better future for her family with her eyes set on the United States. Immigrating to the U.S. in 1986, my grandmother helped raise my older brothers and me while my parents worked two jobs each. She taught us to be resilient and about the value of hard work, and she emphasized the importance of education—something that females of her generation were denied. My grandmother made sure we would be proud of our Chinese heritage, and we always celebrated . I loved preparing food with her for the Dragon Boat Festival. We would wrap zongzi (a sticky rice dumpling), which is made of pyramid-like-shaped glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. The zongzi had fillings such as pork, shrimp, mushrooms, chestnuts, mung beans, lotus seeds and other delicious ingredients. We would steam the zongzi in sets of eight or 10 (always an even number for good luck). The process required days of preparation, but my grandmother emphasized hard work. She showed us that when you are passionate about what you do, the outcome is always worth it. More on home-family AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS