When I was born, my grandmother put a bracelet on me. The bracelet comes from Trinidad and Tobago, where my grandmother is from. The bracelet is a gold chain link with little black beads on it. The black beads are faceted and the gold beads are smooth. My grandmother told me that the bracelet was to ward off evil for all the kids in Trinidad and Tobago. According to my mom, after I had it, it was passed down to my sister. The chain link bracelet is mainly worn by babies and young children. It is a tradition to put the bracelet on at birth, probably a few seconds after delivery. Throughout the country there is a strong belief, that this bracelet is a symbol of protection and good luck. In my opinion, the bracelet  is a physical representation of the love of my family. They gave me the bracelet out of love, as a way to protect me from suspected evil. The bracelet is also a identifier of my nationality and heritage, as it is not from American culture.

– JB

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant