My mother arrived in the United States from China when she was 27 (1994). She decided to make the long journey to America because she wanted to seek more opportunity. My mother explained to me that China was very poor. For example, $1 is equivalent to 6 yuan. When she came to America, she hoped to find any job that gave her money. During her first years in America, she stayed in her friend's house, and her friend told her that a Buddha statue is lucky, so she bought a porcelain one in Chinatown. My object is my family's Buddha statue. Now, till this day, my family still uses the statue to pray on Chinese New Year, and the first day of Winter. To me, the statue symbolizes hope because we pray to the statue to grant our wishes. The statue represents my family’s immigration story because she bought it when she first came to the U.S. It also represents my culture(Buddhist) because it aids me in staying with my roots. In all, my mom made a bold decision to travel to America and bought a Buddha statue that symbolizes my culture and family’s immigration story. 

– Julie Kuang

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