The Cartographer:Do you inherit qualities from family members? Are you a lot like a certain person in your family? I can definitely say I am like my great grandfather. This coin is from Hungary from the year 1894. It was handed down to me by my grandparents. The coin is made out of nickel. Many people would think it’s just some ordinary coin, but this is not true. This coin was taken from Hungary when the Habsburg Empire collapsed at the end of World War 1 (WW1). Before the end of the war, there was much unrest in the empire and each ethnic group fought for their political and economical independence. After WW1, many people from Europe fled to escape the turmoil and moved to the United States of America. This coin was taken on that journey. My great grandfather was a cartographer and he hand drew maps. I have a hobby of hand drawing maps and creating maps online for fun. So, every year, my family travels to Ellis Island to see my family members who immigrated. One of those people was my great grandfather where you can see his name on the plaques. This object is important to me because it represents my family's past and my love for maps which comes from my great grandfather. This object connects to my identity in how cartography has been in for a few generations. I am eventually going to pass down this to my grandkids or children.   

– Leo Palumbo

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more