I left a good life in the Dominican Republic and came to the United States almost three years ago. I left a lot of things that were special for me. One of them was a nice and beautiful shirt with vertical red and white lines. This shirt felt so comfortable and made me feel strong and important. I got this shirt from my best friend in the Dominican Republic, on February 14 of 2012. We were a group of five good friend that were like brothers, and we bought the same shirt for each other, on the same day but with different colors. This shirt is not just a shirt, this represents the good relationship between my friends and me. The day that I had to do my packing to come to the United Stated, my mom told me, “You can’t take everything. Just take something for the first days.” I had to leave my shirt. In the United States, I neglected my body and physical condition because I have to work really hard here. Maybe the shirt does not fit me anymore because I was skinny and stronger before I came here, but one day I will see my friends, whether or not the shirt still fits.

– Miguel Hidalgo Paez

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant