My tradition is Catholicism. It connects through my family from my great-great- grandmother who came to America from Black Forest, Germany in 1873. My great-great-grandmother immigrated to a very small town in West Virginia named Pickens. Through her journey to the U.S. she maintained her religion and passed it on. The Catholic religion has remained in my family for many generations and has personally shaped my beliefs and way of life, affecting my identity. I think my religion shows what it means to be American by following the key phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. I believe these words provide building blocks for some individual’s “American dream”. My family came to the United States for a better life moving forward, as they could buy land cheap.  They also came because they wanted the liberty to freely express themselves through their religion. For me, my religion helps me feel as though I am working towards my pursuit of happiness through God. My grandma told me that her family would convene in others homes for Sunday church, often just sharing beliefs amongst one another, seldomly with a priest. Through this, they were able to build a sense of community and inclusion with each other, showing how religion can bring people together. Today, there are very few people that still live in Pickens, some of which are my family. They still practice the Catholic religion amongst themselves, although there is less of a community now than there was years ago.

– LN

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more