Growing up when people asked me where I was from I always responded that I was from Argentina. I now elaborate that I was born and raised in New York but that my parents immigrated from Argentina 30 years ago. Even though I’ve never lived in Argentina for an extended amount of time, it is Argentine culture that has raised me. Every summer, my brother and I would pack our bags and head to Buenos Aires for the summer. While there, we would take full advantage and attempt to have dulce de leche in every meal. Before heading back to the US at the end of every summer, we’d be sure to pack a couple blue kilo cans of San Ignacio’s Dulce de Leche. Those cans are a central connection to my relationship with Argentina, every time I would take a bite or take a spoon full of dulce de leche it was like I was being brought back to my grandparent’s house in the suburbs of Buenos Aires I no longer live with my parents and besides feeling one step closer to being a full-fledged adult, I also feel one step farther from Argentina and my family. Recently, I mentioned these feelings to my mom over the phone and the next time I saw her she surprised me with a blue kilo can of dulce de leche with the familiar San Ignacio label. It’s a picture and flavor that has anchored me to my culture and continues to do so today.

– Paula Schicchi

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