My family is usually not very traditional. But, if there is one thing that has an important meaning towards my family, it is dumplings.  In addition, dumplings symbolize actually a lot of things as well to me. Dumplings may seem like just dough inside of a filling to some people, but to me, it's a feeling of being proud and lucky. If it wasn't for my parents, I probably wouldn't be in NYC. I wouldn't even be able to have the education I have today. However, when I was very young, I hated dumplings. I'm still not sure why, but I think it was because of it's taste and the weird shape it acquired. Every time my parents made it for me, I would reject it. I would whine and tell them I don't like it. Nevertheless, I only learned to appreciate it when I was older. I learned that my parents had the food almost everyday back then. Even when they immigrated, they still ate it. Afterwards, I started eating dumplings because without my parents and dumplings, maybe I wouldn't even be here in NYC today. Moreover, I even started making dumplings as I grew older. It was fun, and I even learned one valuable lesson. Inside the dumpling, was filling. But, I realized that mostly every single time my parents made it for me, there was a different filling inside. One day, I asked my parents why they were different. My parents told me that each dumpling is different. Maybe they don't have the same shape, or even the same filling. Just like dumplings, a lot of immigrants are different. Every immigrant that comes wants a different life, hopefully a better one than their last.

– Angelina Ren

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