Like many others, my life has been shaped by my upbringing and my experiences, which are undoubtedly informed by the generations that come before us. In 1962, my 20-year-old Cook Island grandmother, Vaevae Williams-Hewett, left her village of Nikaupara, in Aitutaki, and at that time she also left her 19-month-old son, my father, with her parents. On 14 May 1962, she took this ticket to the Port of Rarotonga; there she boarded the SS Monterey to set sail for New Zealand in search of a better future for those to follow. In addition to this ticket, she also took with her the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of her family. She arrived in this country, worked hard by cooking and cleaning at the hospital, and every week she would put some money aside to send back to her family in the islands. That was her routine. That was her cultural sacrifice. 