My object of choice is a little green wallet with the face of a frog on it that I was given in Japan. My parents bought it for me at a temple, and now it serves as a reminder of my family, ethnicity, and religion. The temple itself was a Buddhist building, and the religion my family and I practice is shared there. I was around the age of 3-4 when I received the wallet, so I don’t know exactly why they were selling them at the site, however the fact that they did ties the thought of my wallet to thoughts about my religion, specifically a commonly shared teaching in my religion, which states that at all times, you are being protected by the religious ‘parents.’ The parents refer to the founders of the Buddhist branch that my family follows. At times, it also reminds me of my ethnicity and family in Japan. A few reasons for this would be because I only bring a few things back home from Japan, and the wallet being one of those things forms a stronger bond with me and the country, and it was also one of the first items that I remember ever receiving from Japan. Simultaneously, the thought of Japan makes me think about my uncles, aunts, and cousins who live in Japan. Although I do not use this wallet much at all, it does serve a purpose to remind me of these things about my identity.

– H

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