why start sungaai?

新界 – the brief

Sungaai is about preserving the history of generations distant and near. The heritage, culture of my ancestors (Hakka). My father’s experiences in the village before moving to Hong Kong (1950s). His experiences under colonial rule, and the strength of those around him to forge a future forward for the melting pot of all cultures (the Punti, Hakka, Boat People, Hoklo, Teochow, Fujianese, Shanghainese, Cantonese) in the region. It is about bridging this history to those that live in the present, their future. It is about everything, everywhere, all at once. All the misunderstoods, all the traditions, language, beauty, lov

“born abroad“

reasons why chinese move abroad vary. many want their children to assimilate. stories, lost. particularly for those of us who speak cantonese, or try, it has always been difficult to access pieces of culture from home. i wanted to create a bridge for us to return home, even for a brief moment.

“who are you“

i am danny yu. nice to meet you. I was born in Seattle, Washington. My parents own a salon in Chinatown. Their only child was raised in and around the chinatown community. them in two brief stories:

My mother sat on my bed when I was 18, she was going through chemo for stage 3 breast cancer. Danny did not know how to deal with things then. She sobbed. She told him, she wished she could have been a better mother, smarter. Spent more time with him, spending less time at the salon.

When I was a bit more mature, my father told me the meaning of my name. 余喜達 (jyu4 hei2 daat6). 喜, “happiness” 達, “to achieve”. He sacrificed much of his life trying to provide for his family, our family. He wanted me to be able to find a happiness he was never able to achieve.

their love taught me to be a fighter. to stand up. to preserve our culture.

Perhaps that is why I have been fortunate enough that in my search for trust, I have been able to find people along the way that I have been able to call allies and comrades. Walking alone is painful. It helps when someone can hold your hand.  

I spent many years organizing my thoughts, looking into sourcing factories. Cultivating my life, my humanness. Pouring my soul into this project, SunGaai. 

so why sun gaai?

mmm… One less thing in your life you have to question. One more person you can trust. One more person in your life to hold your hand while you are working up the courage.

be well and with love,

danny