As a person that was born in America but had parents that were born in the USSR, I learned a lot about the Russian/Belarusian life, like how back In the USSR , which is the country that no longer exists, there were a lot of difficulties. Like a lot of people not having high paying jobs and only getting a lot of money if they had government contracts or when they only had certain days when they would sell meat. Also Mental Health was not a thing to be recognized or heard and how there was massive corruption. But even with the negatives of living in the USSR, people and Families we're still able to make good memories like playing outside with friends/family or playing card games, drinking tea as well as watching some cartoons and making irreplaceable memories with family and friends. I chose this picture of my parents in Smolensk Russia where my mom was born because this shows where half of my family, the other half being born in Belarus Bobruisk, come from. This picture is also very important to me because I am a first generation American and this picture reminds me of where my family and roots are from. 

– Sophia Shmagin

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