​In this follow-up of his first successful and well received book Hinghwa: The History and Stories of The Hinghwa People (2022), Dr Jason Ong devotes a chapter on 兴花 – remarkable Hinghwa women who surmounted life’s difficulties, social prejudices and their allotted station in life. Their motivation in an era where women were provided less opportunities than men, was usually to ensure that their children were able to move up in life.
 
It is a theme that resonates deeply with me. My Hinghwa mother never went beyond primary education. But she gave to me, my siblings and her grandchildren a priceless gift – her love and devotion – that enabled us all to do better in life. I can still remember in my mind’s eye, many images of her earning extra money to upkeep the family – whether it was sewing clothes, selling cakes and curry puffs, and even preparing skewered satay sticks.
 
When I went on a postgraduate fellowship to Houston for my cancer training, my mother spent six months with me to help take care of her grandchildren. She fed my younger son so well that he became plump!
 
Dr Ong’s second book on the Hinghwa people details the stories of these women, as well as expands on the Hinghwas who gained prominence in China and their diaspora. Their life examples, men and particularly women, inspire us to be the best that we can be, to enrich the lives of others and society.