My grandparents moved from Harlem and as newlyweds purchased their first home together in Queens in 1964. Prior to the move, my grandparents lived in Harlem. By 1960, Harlem was polluted with drugs and crime.. Once married and with four children, my grandparents wanted better living conditions. As African Americans, my grandparents were in the workforce as young as 10 years old and they also went to school. They both graduated with high school diplomas. My grandfather had been an employee of a dry cleaning establishment since he was a young boy. When he and my grandmother moved to Queens, he purchased his own Dry Cleaners business in 1965. Three generations exist in my household today and that couldn’t make me anymore proud. My grandmother is still living at the age of 86. She is in good health and very mindful. In fact, she still owns the house. My grandmother, myself, my mother, my siblings, and my daughter all reside in this historical home. This china cabinet is one of many furniture pieces that still remains in my home. Not only did the silverware feed my family members, it also fed my grandmother’s foster children. My grandmother fostered over twenty children between the years of 1965 and 2001. She provided these children with a home filled with tradition and togetherness. The emotional sensation that I feel knowing that my grandparents were successful African Americans is indescribable. They can actually say they lived the American Dream.

– Kia

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