Being Polish is a really big part of my identity, as well as my family's, and who I am as a person, which is why I chose the Polish food gołąbki. Gołąbki is a cabbage roll with ground meat inside, and a tomato sauce. It's a Polish traditional food, and it's me and  my family's favorite, and we always have it when we go to Poland. My mom is from Poland, and as a result, we have a lot of history and many stories within our family. For example, my mom grew up in Poland during the Cold War and experienced Soviet control. She tells stories of martial law, listening to an illegal and unsanctioned Western European radio station with her family, and of communist authorities taking inventory of their things. The Soviet Union collapsed when she was about 16. Adding onto this, my great grandma Antonina (who I am named after) saw World War Two in Poland. At one point in her life, the Soviet Union sent her and her family to a work camp in Siberia, and she survived. All of these stories inspire me greatly, and make me really proud to be Polish. Gołąbki is a big part of our cultural identity, which is why I chose it.

– AH

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