In an interview conducted on November 14th at the Willowdale Manor facility, Betty Lee spoke about leaving her home country of Hong Kong and coming to Canada in 1977 with her ex-husband and pregnant.
After finishing school, Betty embarked on the remarkable journey of her life, one in search of better opportunities. During the first years, she always missed her country, family, and traditions, but gradually, she got used to life in Canada. Once she settled in Toronto, she studied at the college and worked full-time. She always thought about giving the best to her daughter and getting a home.
During that time, Betty started having many problems with her partner. "We had many problems with our new life, as our perspectives of life were different, especially at a financial level. So, we were not happy… And I think he won a younger woman," she said. After a while, when her daughter turned six, her partner asked for a divorce.
After the divorce, Betty never gave up. She always continued and never let that affect her. Betty began to work hard to support herself and her daughter. She worked for a long time as a telephone operator and data entry. Then, she worked as a doctor's office assistant for fifteen years. For Betty, getting more skills for a better job was always important.
Meanwhile, Betty worked, and her ex-husband took care of their daughter. Even though Betty did not live with her daughter, she always cared about maintaining closeness with her. So, Betty always visited her every weekend.
For Betty, working hard meant success and stability in her and her daughter's lives despite the difficulties. "It was hard to find a place for me and my daughter," she said. Betty applied to different kinds of places to live, and many doors were closed to her. "They used to tell me that I have a job which is not qualified. Then, when I went to the private housing, they said, I'm a single mother... At that moment, it seemed that nobody wanted to rent a house," she said.
Betty mentioned that dedication, perseverance, and desire to get ahead and be independent are related to her culture. "People work very hard in my country; they work six days or even all the week," she remarked. This is seen in everything she does, notably her leadership and contributions at Willowdale Manor Seniors Home, where she lives.
Currently, Betty loves spending time with her daughter and her two grandchildren. They meet every weekend and celebrate Chinese New Year together, where they still follow cultural traditions like the food and the red envelope with money, which is given to the children as a symbol of luck.
Betty has lived in Canada for forty-seven years, always being away from her family, as she never had relatives living in Canada, and she rarely visited Hong Kong. However, her love for her daughter, dedication, perseverance, and effort have been characteristics that have marked her journey to an achieved path in Canada.
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