At the age of 15 my Great grandma was given a necklace. That necklace would be passed down throughout our family for generations to come. It was a gold pendant given to her in the shape of Africa from her father before he passed. My great great grandfather's last words to her we’re, “never lose sight of where you came from, but also have your eyes set to conquer the rest of the world set in front of you”. This is a motto my family lives by which and the reason my father migrated here to begin with. After my great grandma gave my grandma her necklace, and my grandma gave birth to three sons, she wondered how she could continue this legacy. So, as each of her female grandchildren were born, she sent us each a necklace from Kenya with a note saying, “never lose sight of where you came from, but also have your eyes set to conquer the rest of the world set in front of you”. I wear my necklace every day, because even though I live here in America, I will never forget where my family came from. When I wear it I am reminded of the hard work my grandparents put in to allow my dad to be able to give us every opportunity. I will never take for granted all the sacrifices they made, and that is why I wear my necklace everyday. 

– AM

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