LEE HO 1924
Angel Island Mug Shot
Anomaly in the Veil series, Painting no. 2
Cynthia's paternal great grandmother
"My earliest recollection of my grandmother was her
teaching me how to knit with a pair of chopsticks.
We knew my grandmother only as "Ah Paw".
Ah Paw lived in the backroom of the Joss House.
The room had a little window where the sun never shone.
I recall vividly how bleak the room was with only a bare
light bulb as the only source of light in the room. There
was a sink, but no bathroom. Her only entertainment
seemed to be a gramophone. My brother and I delighted
in winding the victorola for her and listening to the operas
sung in Chinese. This was how my grandmother lived
her final days on this earth.
My grandmother had bound feet, which was an indication
of wealth in China. Women with bound feet had to be
carried everywhere. Ah Paw made sure that no one
ever saw her feet.
I felt she was ashamed to show her feet to us."
--Sue Tom (Cynthia's mother)
