For my mom, as a young girl living in the Dominican Republic, religion was an integral part of her life. She and her brother, sisters, mother, and father, would visit their local church every Sunday for mass. During the week she would often join her peers after school for bible study. However, after immigrating to the United States at the age of 17, religion no longer played an important role. Although she continues to consider herself a catholic, intense religious practices aren't emphasized. She assimilated to American culture by focusing her attention on her studies and work. She no longer found the time to include religious traditions and found new familial traditions to replace them instead. She found herself learning english, making new American friends, celebrating American traditions, etc. My mom passed on to me, the gold cross that she received from her father as a child, which serves as a reminder of him and her childhood in the Dominican Republic. 

– KB

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant