Part 3/12:
Mimi was born in 1933 and was sold into slavery at the age of three in 1936, her story intertwined with the complex history of Chinese migration to Singapore. Her biological mother, Lim Hay, sold her as a means of survival amidst the dire poverty in China, seeking a chance at a better life in Singapore. The circumstances surrounding this act remain ambiguous, driven by economic hardship and social pressures. Lim Hay is perceived as a survivalist—doing what was necessary to provide a future for her daughter, whether out of love, pragmatism, or a desperate need to escape relentless poverty.