Photographed is the coat of arms of Trinidad and Tobago that my father keeps outside. Trinidad and Tobago is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, right off the coast of South America. My father immigrated to the United States when he was thirteen years old. He moved here with both of his parents and younger sister. My father did not want to move to the United States. However, my grandparents believed that there was more opportunity for them in the United States. In a sense, my father believes that my grandparents were infatuated with the idea of the American Dream. At the time, it was difficult to find work in Trinidad, and my grandparents believed that moving to America would provide more job opportunities for both of them, as well as education for their children. Their main driving force to leave Trinidad and come to America was money, they felt that there was not enough opportunity for success where they were. When my father first came here, he and his sister dealt with extreme prejudice in school. Because they did not have a lot of money, and they spoke and acted differently, they were both constantly targeted and bullied. Throughout history, and even today, many white Americans tend to discriminate against people that do not look like them, especially immigrants. But my father never lost his national pride. The coat of arms reads "together we aspire, together we achieve." My father has always stressed the importance of togetherness, something he learned from where he came from, carried with him throughout his life, and taught to my brothers and I. 

– K

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child