Empanadas are originally from Spain. The name comes from a Spanish verb empanar, or to coat with bread. However Ecuadorian-style empanadas are fried with a cheese filling. Both of my parents came to the U.S. around 1997. With them they brought memories and family recipes. When my family comes together it is  tradition to make empanadas. We create new memories and have lots of fun. I remember a time when my parents and all my siblings would work together to make empanadas. Either my dad or older brother would fry while my mother, younger sisters, and I would roll the dough into balls then fill them with cheese or mashed  bananas. Before the empanadas would have time to cool down my siblings and I would dig into them, washing them down with cafe.

– Cecily C.

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