Women's History Month: Jianmin
March 02, 2023
Home > About > News & Media > Story Center
Jianmin Liang
Jianmin Liang joined Legacy three years ago after learning about a job opening from her cousin. She spends her days washing dishes for patients at Unity Center for Behavioral Health. In her conversation with us, Liang talked about how supportive the staff is and how they’ve welcomed her onto the team.
Hospitality Service Associate, Food and Nutrition
What is your job?
I work in the kitchen getting the dishes ready for the patients.
What motivates you to do this job?
Mainly for income. But the second reason is because of my boss. When I came to the job on the first day my boss really encouraged me. He said, “Don't worry, I will help you.” Even though I don't understand English, he said, “I will help you. Then my supervisor gave me a thank you card. When I worked hard, I receive those cards. Also, most importantly, even though I don't understand English, nobody has discriminated against me. My boss, my supervisor, my colleagues are all very friendly and very helpful.
What past experiences do you bring to the job?
I have a lot of work experience when I was in China, where I was in charge of a daycare.
So, I must work as a team. One is to be responsible because we must have a sense of responsibility in taking care of our children. So, this spirit, no matter what kind of work, is upholding the team spirit. A sense of responsibility is very important. Diligence is nothing to worry about with Chinese people.
What do you like most about doing this job?
My favorite thing is that my colleagues are friendly, my supervisor is very friendly, the boss is very friendly. They are always helping me. They help me a lot, not just because I don't know English. They just are really helpful.
What do you think is the greatest benefit you provide for patients?
The greatest benefit to patients is we make the best food, the most hygienic food.
And it’s always on time. It’s helping them with their health. When I see that the patients are happy, then I am happy too.
Do you feel like you are a good role model to younger people?
Yes, I suppose because we wash the dishes, and we are a team of several people.
So, the young people seeing you be diligent, they will see that to do well they must also be diligent. You must set an example otherwise they will not be diligent. When you work fast, they will know not to be slow.
You have to be meticulous about everything, so they know to be careful. There must be a good example. This is true because my boss is like that. That's why my boss hired me.
Does your work here have any impact on your family?
I’m the only one Chinese person in this department. I did talk to my father who is in Guangzhou, China, about how I feel about my job. Everybody is helping and very friendly. There is no problem because I cannot speak English. That makes my father have a peace of mind because he knows nobody is bullying me.
We must have a sense of responsibility in taking care of our children. So, this spirit, no matter what kind of work, is upholding the team spirit. A sense of responsibility is very important.
