I had never been in a supermarket before coming to America. At home, my parents wouldn't let me open the refrigerator, because they worried I'd damage the door by opening it too many times.

My parents pushed us very hard to work, both in the home, doing chores and cooking, and at school.

My grandmother died in childbirth, and my great-aunt lived with us. She had bound feet. She never knew how to read or write.

As for what other people think of me, I could worry about that every day, but choose not to.

I grew up in China, but I live in the U.S. and I want my children to understand what's going on over there. They ask me sometimes, 'Are we Chinese or Australians?' My family are in L.A., New York and China, and they have the freedom to go back and forth, which is really, really nice.

My children speak very good Chinese, and they translate for our American friends.