Chinese immigrant goes from ironing board to corporate board

When Ginny was about 6 years old, her parents announced that the family would be moving. This happens in lots of families; only Ginny's family was Chinese and the family was moving to America.

Like many Chinese immigrants of the period, the Eng family established a hand laundry. Her father had come to the United States years before, was a veteran of World War II and was living in New York at the time. They heard about a laundry business in Long Island, N.Y., for sale at the high price of $1,500 and borrowed money to open a family laundry business.

Life in the hand laundry was hot and filled with hard work and long hours. Growing up, Ginny and her brother Ken played among the piles of dirty clothes, did their homework on ironing boards, and didn't think much of it. Children are often very accepting.

Mr. and Mrs. Eng did not speak English. Ginny and her brother picked up the language easily and became interpreters for their parents, not only for life in general, but also in running their business and dealing with customers. That's a lot of responsibility for kids under 12. And it wasn't easy being the only Chinese girl in her second-grade class, living between two very different cultures, learning how to be accepted by the dominant society and returning home every day to the culture of her heritage.

For Mr. and Mrs. Eng, there was never any question about the future of their children - they would not be running the laundry. They were destined for college and an easier way of life.

Indeed, Ginny grew up, earned a master's degree, became an educator, played a seminal role in the emergence of the Asian Pacific American community, and served in leadership positions on many boards and commissions. She also got married becoming Mrs. Ginny Gong, had children of her own, and became the host of a weekly talk show series, "Ginny's - Where East Meets West."

Now it's almost 55 years later. Mr. and Mrs. Eng have retired and a tile store now occupies the site of the old laundry. The hand laundry industry has almost vanished due to modern clothes washing equipment. And, Ginny Gong has written a compelling memoir of her experience growing up. Titled, "From Ironing Board to Corporate Board: My Chinese Laundry Experience in America," the target audience is young adults, and already Montgomery County Public Schools has approved the inclusion of the book in curriculum and instruction and on reading lists for grades 4-12.

Gong's story is compelling on several levels. First, it's a slice of American sociological history from the mid-20th century. Secondly, it's a coming of age story. Thirdly, it's an immigrant's story in which the details happen to be Chinese, but resonate with all immigrants. Finally, it's a modern day "Pilgrim's Progress," a story of rising to the pinnacles of American success from humble origins.

We need more books like, "From Ironing Board to Corporate Board." Excepting Native Americans, we're all immigrants here. We need to remember the experience whether it happened in our lifetime or to our forebears. What is best about this book is that although it is targeted to young adults, it is sophisticated enough to engage adults and easy enough to read to young children. Recent economic developments underline the global and interconnected nature of our existence. Empathy and understanding are no longer just attributes of a "nice person"; these days they are survival skills.

Listen to my podcast interview with Ginny Gong at librarybeat.org for more details.