The object I chose is a mirror that was passed down to my mother from my grandfather. He was born in Finland on a farm and worked many hours from a young age, here, he learned hard work and to never give up. As he grew older, he moved to Sweden for a change, so he took a risk and left everything behind to start a new life from scratch. It wasn’t easy, but as time went on, he learned a new language and worked his way up. A couple of years after moving to Sweden, my grandfather met my grandmother, who was born in Finland but then moved with her family to Sweden. They went on to have four children, my mother being the youngest. Later, at age 25, gave birth to me, and then later went on to have my brother at age 29. When I was 9 years old, my family went on to move to the United States for a chance to experience change and a new lifestyle. This was difficult for me since I didn’t speak any English and was forced to adapt quickly in order to prosper and catch up on all the learning I missed out on. Now, the mirror is standing in our living room, and I pass it every day and get a reminder of what I have been through. As an American, I was taught to never give up and give everything to be successful. After all, if there’s a will, there’s a way. In summary, this mirror is a representation of all the struggles and hardships that my family has gone through, and it just reminds me that if they were able to stay determined and get through all the hardships, then so am I.

– JB

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant