To me, this picture is the beginning of something great. The intangible moment captured within the photograph emphasizes my understanding of the beauty of immigration. My parents would not have met, would not have fallen in love, would not have had 4 kids if it they hadn't moved to America. Aside from the great tale of fortune and chance that presents itself within my parent's love story, there is a greater story that demonstrates various motives of immigration. Everything about my parent's marriage fascinates me and I am filled with joy every time I hear it. My mother and her parents came from a world of struggle looking for opportunity in America. My father moved here looking for change after the death of his parents. They both looked to America for a light that they themselves were unable to find in their home country, which happened to be the same place. Different reasons, different years, and still they found themselves at the same high school in Brentwood, NY. They found themselves with the same friends and although my mom didn't like him at first, they found themselves in love soon enough. Maybe my parents were not able to find the career opportunities they had hoped to find in America but they found love and an even wider array of opportunity that they have imposed upon their kids to pursue. 

– Lauren Lazarte

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