When I was younger, my block would annually host a block party, usually in August. My predominately-Dominican neighbors would set up barbecues and blast hit Spanish songs, usually by J Balvin and Bad Bunny, while I would play with the children in an inflatable playground. In retrospect, the vague–yet powerful memory feels equal to an average kid playing ball in Santo Domingo. I can’t help but feel I was constantly scoring, even though I was just running around and jumping on the bouncy stairs. When the block party was ending, I’d typically eat tostones with salt and cheese, which is basically my equivalent of pizza: cheesy, stretchy, and delighting to savor. The perfect summer weather, which is now boiling for me, was the habichuelas to my arroz– my favorite meal for lunch.

– SM

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