The gold pieces of jewelry in the images were brought over to the United States by my mother when we migrated to the United States in May 2020. We left a lot of our belongings in Sri Lanka because there was simply too much to bring, but these gold pieces were some of the items that my mother couldn’t leave behind. They are family heirlooms and were some of the tangible memories she has of her deceased loved ones. Gold jewelry is a huge part of Sri Lankan culture, and is passed down from generation to generation. The swan-shaped pendant is one of seven necklaces worn at weddings, and it was the one my mother wore for hers. Swans symbolize beauty and purity, and the entwined swans in the pendant represent the unification of the married couple. It means a lot to my mother because her parents weren’t financially well off at the time, but they managed to put together enough money to buy her that pendant. The Medallion was given to her by her father, as a memory of her great-grandfather. He worked in America and was given the medallion as a memento for the services rendered to the company. She brought it with her because of the pride it gave the family. 

– Yasasri Kodituwakku

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