This is the only picture I have in my possession of my father, mother, and myself, taken after I had been baptized. My mother is from Mexico and grew up in a very strict Catholic family, something that she tried to pass onto my sisters and I. Unfortunately, I’ve always had a very rocky relationship with religion, something that I feel reflects my experience with my culture as well. My mom holds religion very close to her heart, saying it symbolizes her roots and reminds her of where she comes from. For me, it always felt like a restriction that bound me to a reality that made me an outsider in an all white neighborhood. Going to a Spanish speaking church, celebrating Day of the Virgin Mary, and wearing a rosary were all cues to inform my classmates that I wasn’t one of them. It took a long time but as I’ve grown up, I’ve learned how to accept all parts of myself, including the part that finds joy in these traditions and celebrating with my family. I’m still on rocky terms with the Catholic religion, but I’ve learned to appreciate the way it has shaped my family’s history and the traditions we hold. My mother recalls how tightly she held onto her rosary as she crossed the Southern border and how she found solace in the church once settled in California. To me this picture symbolizes all of those experiences and my own growth within the last 18 years. 

– KS

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