Carmen Rita Wong

I wanted her love so bad, and she couldn't love me enough to tell me the truth. Even before she died.

I wanted her love so bad, and she couldn't love me enough to tell me the truth. Even before she died.

I wanted her love so bad, and she couldn't love me enough to tell me the truth. Even before she died.

She was always dressed to the nines and the red lipstick was She, along with my grandmother and my abuela, both from the Dominican Republic, were seamstresses for Oscar de la Renta, who was Dominican and employed a lot of the Dominican women immigrants to New York City.

She was always dressed to the nines and the red lipstick was She, along with my grandmother and my abuela, both from the Dominican Republic, were seamstresses for Oscar de la Renta, who was Dominican and employed a lot of the Dominican women immigrants to New York City.

She was always dressed to the nines and the red lipstick was She, along with my grandmother and my abuela, both from the Dominican Republic, were seamstresses for Oscar de la Renta, who was Dominican and employed a lot of the Dominican women immigrants to New York City.

And they dressed up to be seamstresses. My abuela as well, always in an Oscar suit that she probably made with her own hands.

And they dressed up to be seamstresses. My abuela as well, always in an Oscar suit that she probably made with her own hands.

And they dressed up to be seamstresses. My abuela as well, always in an Oscar suit that she probably made with her own hands.

The neighborhood we lived in was mostly Dominican immigrants, Puerto Rican, basically of all colors. So for me, going to daycare, being around my cousins, lived across the street. My grandfather's cleaners was on the corner. And we all just coexisted in a very great, supportive way. Colorful, texture, smells, just the richness of it all. Not money, but life.

The neighborhood we lived in was mostly Dominican immigrants, Puerto Rican, basically of all colors. So for me, going to daycare, being around my cousins, lived across the street. My grandfather's cleaners was on the corner. And we all just coexisted in a very great, supportive way. Colorful, texture, smells, just the richness of it all. Not money, but life.

The neighborhood we lived in was mostly Dominican immigrants, Puerto Rican, basically of all colors. So for me, going to daycare, being around my cousins, lived across the street. My grandfather's cleaners was on the corner. And we all just coexisted in a very great, supportive way. Colorful, texture, smells, just the richness of it all. Not money, but life.

It's something that even now I look back on with nostalgia.

It's something that even now I look back on with nostalgia.

It's something that even now I look back on with nostalgia.

We called him Poppy, Poppy Wong.

We called him Poppy, Poppy Wong.

We called him Poppy, Poppy Wong.

He was like a Chinese Johnny Cash. That's what he looked like to me, with a black leather jacket and slick black pants and a pompadour.

He was like a Chinese Johnny Cash. That's what he looked like to me, with a black leather jacket and slick black pants and a pompadour.