This is a picture of a golden brooch that belongs to my grandmother, given to her by her own grandmother. This golden leaf can be a pendant for a necklace, too. Her grandmother gave it to her as a parting gift when she left her home state, and as a last resort to pawn if money got low. My grandma’s name is Virginia. She was born and raised in South Carolina, United States. However, when she was 16 years old, in 1956, she decided to move to New York, and later settled in Brooklyn, for better opportunities and a higher quality of life. Another reason for the move was that she had grown to dislike the South, for the lack of employment there and the mistreatment of Black people that was prevalent. My grandmother had only a suitcase with her clothes and important paperwork, and the brooch that reminded her of home. Before this assignment, she had never talked about the brooch or her grandmother, but I can tell that the jewelry still means a great deal to her. Before she came to Brooklyn, she took a job as a babysitter in Levittown, NY. She told me that she applied for the job while still in South Carolina and boarded the bus that would take her straight there. She was lonely and depressed during her travels, and in the early months of being in a new place, but she made a friend who helped make the ordeal more bearable for her. My grandmother had lost contact and forgotten the name of the friend, but for the few months that they were roommates, she made the transition easy for her. 

– KM

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant