My mother’s grandparents were the first to flee Schlesien (Modern Day Poland), leaving all behind, afraid of the Russian Empire’s invasion, and with no way to return after the war to claim their  property and find their place again. One of the few things that were taken were the family crest above, a family tree going back to the mid 18th century, and a dagger which had been passed down since the early 19th century. Although we were not forced to flee our home, 80 years later , my family  did have to leave almost all behind in Germany to start a new life in the USA. Although we would be ableto go back home at any time, school and work limit this to only the summertime. But of all the things we could take with us, these three were of course a part of them. Although my family’s immigration to the USA occurred almost a century after my ancestor’s flight, we both faced similar challenges of language (Schlesich to German, and later German to English), and  also the learning curve of entering wildly different cultures. In Schlesien there was the culture of a Slavic country, which changed to a Western European culture which was more socially refined. In Germany we had become used to these Western European standards, and when we moved to the USA, we were shocked by the diversity of cultures, especially in a region which is shaped by immigration. The possessions that were taken with us in both situations were our culture and heritage, and it is important to me to pass these on to my future generations. 

– FO

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant