A chance encounter introduces me to a Hakka writer. In my last post, I wrote that I rarely found Hakka characters in books or stories. Recently I got an email message from Loren, a friend in New York. She met a Chinese woman, Jeannie Tseng, walking her dog in Central Park. As they talked, Tseng described her family history as a Hakka, migrating from China to India.

When asked about her cooking traditions, Tseng said her favorite cookbook was my book, The Hakka Cookbook. When Loren told her she knew the author, Tseng was so excited to meet a live connection to her favorite book. When Loren told me this story, I was surprised, flattered and honored. Stories like this make me feel that all my work was worthwhile.

I find that Tseng is also a writer and a creative writing teacher. She shared some links to her stories about the Hakka. I love them because they offer a window into Hakka culture and family. Check out these stories. Wasted Rice Child published in The Massachusetts Review reveals generational differences in an immigrant family. Number Eight Daughter won first prize in the Fall 2021 Story Contest in Narrative. The story depicts the life of a girl born to poor parents who sell her to a rich family as a future wife to their son. Enjoy reading the work of this Hakka writer, Jeannie Tseng.