This bracelet was purchased at a kiosk on the streets of San Andres, Colombia. Given to my friend Nimer by his father on his 7th birthday, the bracelet represented the pride he and his dad had for their home, Colombia, as well as their time spent together. Hand woven from straw and detailed with red, blue, and yellow, to represent the flag, this bracelet, though initially a symbol of his national pride, changed in meaning when Nimer moved to the U.S. 
In 2004, Nimer and his mother moved from San Andres, Colombia to Daytona Beach, Florida, leaving behind his father and older sister. With his parents separating when he was 5, his sister 15, Nimer and his sister were used to splitting time between the two, but given how close they lived, distance wasn't much of an issue. However, two continents apart? 
In Florida, Nimer found himself feeling lost and alone, due to the language barrier. Every night, he would call his father, asking how many days until he could return to Colombia, and each night his father would explain that America was his new home. He would say, “Cuando pierdas Colombia, solo mira la pulsera y recuerda que Colombia y yo siempre estamos contigo,” meaning “When you miss Colombia just look at the bracelet and remember Colombia and I are always with you.” 
Although initially associated as a memento from his 7th birthday, today the bracelet represents Nimer's pride for Colombia, the friends and family left behind, and the opportunity given to him in the U.S.

– Natallie

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