Bangles are a dominant part of my heritage and culture. These bangles have followed me throughout my childhood to adolescence. When my mother married my father and moved from Bangladesh (South-Central Asia) to America she brought her special bangles which we call “churis”. My grandmother passed on her churis to my mom who passed on those churis to me. For me these “churis” or bangles became a staple of who I am. They catalogue every interaction that I’ve had with my relatives and every special occasion. They symbolize the times I celebrated Eid and fasted and the first time I tried dhal puri. They also symbolize the times that I fought with my cousins and cried.These churis represent happiness for me because I remember as a child being so excited to choose a specific set to wear. In Bangladesh, my aunts would always say that “every dress has the perfect churi to match with it” and for every occasion there’s a churi to wear. For Bangladeshi women, churis resemble beauty and joyousness. Wearing matching churis with my traditional clothing made me feel like a Disney princess. Hearing the sounds of the churis jingling and jangling made me feel even more magical. I feel empowered wearing churis because not only does each one hold a memory for me but it also holds a memory for the women in my family and makes me feel even more connected to my culture. 

– Ruba Shigufta

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