My name is Martha Watson. I was born and raised in New York City to Chinese immigrants in the 1950s.

My dad arrived in the U.S. as a child and my mom came to the States in the late 40s. She came on a Rockefeller grant for nursing after working on a U.S. military base in China before communism.

Months after I was born and my mom was pregnant with my brother Dee, we moved to an apartment complex that would be the stage for most of our cultural experiences. This was outside of Chinatown, so most of the tenants were Jewish and Italians. We moved into the apartment and met our neighbors. She was Jewish, he was Italian. This exposed me immediately to different language, religion, and foods. But most importantly, love and family life. And Auntie Hennie became a second mother.

I started public school and made friends, but was moved to a Catholic school in Chinatown, which is mostly Chinese and Italian. Auntie Hennie introduced us to our godparents in the process of us becoming Catholics. Catholicism exposed me to Chinese friends and culture and Cantonese culture. After my father passed, Auntie Hennie and my godparents were the extended family my mom and brother had. Without knowing about my family background, I grew more curious about what the future was like and what all cultural exposure meant, and what I had to learn. My cultural experiences guided me through a career and marriages and helped me keep an open mind and eyes to see the colorful life our world has to offer.

My legacy is shown in the multicultural families we have extended to.