AARYAH Mother's Day: The Ties that Bind Us

This Mother’s Day, AARYAH is honoring and celebrating all forms of maternal connections and relationships by highlighting the special and heartfelt ways in which these bonds manifest throughout generations. Whether it's words of wisdom that guide you through life, cultural traditions that inspire how you see the world, or heirloom pieces that empower you on your own journey, maternal love is ever-present, and the gifts it grants mean so much.

We are featuring the special connections that friends of AARYAH have with a beloved maternal figure in their own lives, and we invite you to take space to reflect on and celebrate your own meaningful connections.

  

Name: Phoebe Kunitomi

Where are you based? Miami

Cultural Background: Half Japanese (dad's side), half Korean (mom's side)

What brings you joy?
What brings me joy definitely has evolved with my life stage, but right now it is building a community around okko, spending time with my dog, and making new friends in Miami.
 
What’s the best advice your mom has ever given you?
Put in the damn work. My mom moved to the USA from South Korea when she was a teenager. When she had me in her early 20s without a college degree, she opened flower shops in Downtown LA (before it was trendy) to provide for our family. Although the products are beautiful, running flower shops is not glamorous. It entails 3am wake up calls, calloused hands, and razor thin margins. When I decided to become an entrepreneur, my mom told me to grind like she had and not take for granted many of the luxuries afforded to me like access to capital and an MBA from an Ivy League university. Much of my success to date is attributable to this advice.

What traditions have been passed down to you from your mother?
I am a fifth generation American on my dad's side, so most of my "Asian-ness" was passed down from my mom. That includes celebrating the important holidays in Korean culture like New Year's as well as prioritizing family time, always around food of course.
 
What’s one thing that your mom has taught you that you want to pass down to the next generation?
Unconditional generosity. My mom is truly the most generous person I know. I admire her because she gives without constraints.

What’s a piece of jewelry that was passed down to you? 
My mom's family came to the USA with nothing, but they worked hard in what would be considered blue collared jobs. After years of working and saving, my grandmother finally was able to buy herself a Rolex, which she eventually gifted to my mom. When I got into Georgetown, my mom then passed it down to me. It is the most precious item, not just jewelry, that I own.

How do you feel when you wear it? 

Luxe, haha! 

 

 

 

Name: Elizabeth Lim 

Where are you based? New York

Cultural Background:  Chinese American

What brings you joy? Bringing joy to others through unexpected gestures especially to my kids 

What’s the best advice your mom has ever given you?

Education is the key to opportunities. I took this literally growing up as in "going to school"; but as an adult, I realize education can come from a lot of different sources and experiences in our day to day lives from people, art, food, books, and the list is endless. Never stop learning and discovering the unknown.

What traditions have been passed down to you from your mother?

Don't wash your hair on Chinese New Year's Eve, it washes the luck away.

Eat long noodles on your birthday to represent a long life.  

What’s one thing that your mom has taught you that you want to pass down to the next generation?

Kindness!

What’s a piece of jewelry that was passed down to you? How do you feel when you wear it? My mother has given me jade charms and Chinese gold (24K) as gifts in all forms of jewelry such as charms, rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces. They remind me of my Chinese culture and heritage and symbolizes luck and prosperity.

 

 

Name: Rachel Luz

Where are you based? New York          

Cultural Background:  Half Filipino half Portuguese

What brings you joy?

Taking time to relish in the slowness and stillness of an early morning. At the time when it feels like the world has not yet woken up.

What’s the best advice your mom has ever given you?

Probably “the truth is always the best lie.” I find myself coming back to this a lot in adulthood. Why make excuses? Be honest with yourself and others about your capacities and what you are feeling. The right people will always understand.

What traditions have been passed down to you from your mother?

Pancit (noodles) on your birthday for long life and good luck. Cleaning the house before the new year. Karaoke for house parties and gatherings LOL. 

What’s one thing that your mom has taught you that you want to pass down to the next generation?

The spirit of kindness and generosity. Giving and helping without expectation of return or personal gain.

What’s a piece of jewelry that was passed down to you? How do you feel when you wear it? 

I have a gold ring that’s the shape of a heart with a red gemstone set inside of the heart. This was my mother’s when she was a child. My grandfather led the evacuation of Filipinos from Vietnam during the Vietnam War, so my mom was briefly there as a child. My grandparents gifted rings to my mom and uncles in such an uncertain time while the family was all together in one place. I wear this ring every day on a Portuguese gold chain that belonged to my paternal great-grandmother. 

Filipinos believe in anting-anting, which can be anything from protective amulets and objects, to spells and tattoos. My grandfather was tattooed to keep him alive during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in WWII. I believe that the jewelry of my kin protects me whenever I wear it.

 

 

Name: Shivy Galtere 

Where are you based? Los Angeles 

Cultural Background: British South Asian - Malaysian South Indian father & Kenyan Punjabi mother

What brings you joy?

Painting, my son, the beach, kindness, sunshine, good food, travelling  

What’s the best advice your mom has ever given you?

That life is too short, so it's important to enjoy its simple pleasures. Whether it's buying yourself a coffee, taking a risk with your career to do what you love or walking barefoot on the grass in the park to ground yourself amongst the hustle and bustle of city life. 

What traditions have been passed down to you from your mother?

Food played a big part in our house (particularly Punjabi & Malaysian cuisine) and so hosting big meals for family and friends to fill my house with as much laughter and love as I grew up with, is something I continue to enjoy.

What’s one thing that your mom has taught you that you want to pass down to the next generation?

The importance of equality and treating everyone you meet with humility and kindness.

What’s a piece of jewelry that was passed down to you? How do you feel when you wear it?

The last time I saw my mum before she passed away, she gifted me the most beautiful Indian gold jewellery that she herself had been gifted. It's traditional to pass down gold, as they are considered family heirlooms in most South Asian cultures. When she passed away unexpectedly, it felt so poignant and special to me that she did that and I look forward to passing these pieces down to my own children.

On a daily basis, I wear her sterling silver Tiffany & co. bangle, which I haven't taken off since her passing. It brings me so much comfort and reminds me that she is always with me.

 

 

Name: Caique Mello

Where are you based? Queens, NY

Cultural Background: Brazilian

What's the best advice your mom has ever given you? 

Never let fear keep you from asking for clarity or advocating for what you want. 

What traditions have been passed down to you from your mother?

 My mom taught me a lot about how to cook, and really just like how to understand flavors, what tastes good, and how to really improvise and make things work in the kitchen. I think it’s a huge part of why she’s such a good host — my parents consistently have people from all around town over for holidays and the weekly summer bbqs. Those flimsy paper plates be fighting for their lives.

What's one thing your mom has taught you that you want to pass down to the next generation?

 Always make sure your garden stays watered. I use that both literally and figuratively hahah. My mom can grow the f*ck outta some flowers, basil, mint, cilantro and jiló in her yard, and she’s helped me with a bunch of tricks for my plants (the water from your washed rice is great for making them grow!), so I  wouldn’t mind passing along that green thumb. More thoughtfully though, she also just always makes sure everyone in her circle stays fed and healthy all while never compromising on her own joy, growth, and self fulfillment.

What's a piece of jewelry that was passed down to you? How do you feel when you wear it?

I have 2 escapulários —one gold, another silver. It’s a very popular accessory in Brasil, so it helps me feel more connected with my culture. Each one that’s been gifted to me, whether it’s made from gold or string, my mom and the women in my family have always made sure to first take it to a church to get it blessed. It’s a comforting reminder that no matter what happens, I’m divinely protected by my family, my ancestors, and God.