When we grow up, many of us have to leave our parent’s home and some of us unfortunately have to live very far from them. Before I moved to the United States, I went to my parent’s home to say good bye to them. On that day, my father give me a gift. It was a fifty Somoni bill (“Somoni”- the money in Republic of Tajikistan) as a symbol of luck and prosperity. I always carry this bill in my wallet. A Somoni and a US dollar are the exactly the same size. Like the dollar, the somoni has portraits of national heroes, too. Each bill has a different person and describes his contribution to the country. On this fifty Somoni is a picture of Bobojon Gafurov a Tajik historian, academician, and the author of History of Tajikistan and The Tajiks. On the opposite side of this bill is a picture of the “Chiohonai Sino”. Chiohona is a Tajik word which means a place where aged people gather and talk over a cup of tea. Sino – the full name is Abuali Ibn Sina or Avicenna – was a legendary Tajik scientist who made an enormous contribution to medicine. Somoni are decorated with traditional symbols which represent our great culture, kindness and the friendliness of Tajik people. This fifty Somoni bill is very important to me. It reminds me of the moment of parting with my parents, of my mother's warm embrace and her warm tears digging on my shoulder.

– Rashid Alinazarov

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant