“Piine” translates to “bread” from Romanian. My grandma waited for hours on end to receive her rations of a couple slices. It wasn’t just bread, it was milk and all other groceries. Communist life in Romania created hardships causing many to flee illegally and immigrate to other countries. Living in Romania, my grandmother unwillingly worked to stay financially afloat, because her husband was not making enough. This was typical in every household--one person couldn't be financially independent. She immigrated to New York with her daughter in 1990, where she could financially depend on her daughter for support. Unlike Romania, where everyone had to work to survive because wages were so low, New York provided the ability for her to financially depend on one person without contributing. A full family was not needed, one did not have to marry for financial support. If she chose to work, a plethora of jobs were available, unlike previously in Romania where job selection was limited to one or few.

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Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant