While many people bring material objects with them when moving from one place to another, my family did not fit within the schema. For my father, he brought his family recipe of mais moulin. From his birthplace on the coast of Haiti, he moved to the capital of Port-au-Prince at the age of 10, and then at 14, he was up and moving again. From the country that influenced him for the first 14 years of his adolescent life, he further moved to the nation of “streets paved with gold”. Even though my father’s family moved to a new city where they were forced to rediscover themselves to fit into the lifestyle, their recipe was one thing that remained the same and wouldn’t change. Mais moulin is a corn based dish, equivalent to the consistency of grits that many enjoy here in America. This dish is served steaming hot, and although many eat it for breakfast, in my household, it is enjoyed as a side for lunch or dinner. Whenever we eat mais moulin, it is a savory meal that is greatly appreciated. But to my father, it is something more. It is what connects him to his past identity. It is what fastens him to the first culture he has ever encountered and embraced. It is what links him to his childhood memories, his family back home, and all of the intimate relationships he had with his friends. 

– Brianne

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant