There are things that are important to us, no matter how small or big they are, they have sentimental value. The items that are important to me are my golden jewelries. Two are bracelets and one is a necklace. My bracelets are super shiny and have many spheres on top of them. It feels rigid due to the complex designs upon them. Meanwhile, my necklace doesn’t just have gold, it has diamonds. My name is written in cursive and gold and topped off with diamonds. It also has a crown and two stars. Gold is the symbolization of wealth and luck within the Cambodian culture. You were deemed royalty if you wore gold since many kings and nobles wore them. My mother had given me these jewelries for the sake of my future because, in my parent’s past, they had gone through rough times. My mother had to leave her family behind and took the airplane to the U.S since the Cambodian government was corrupted and the Khmer Rouge left a huge impact on them. However, my father was poor and had to walk barefoot to get to the reservation camp. The pathway he took was dangerous due to the landmines that the U.S. had dropped to aim for Vietnam, but it was in Cambodia. Many people died in front of his eyes and he was traumatized. Though he was lucky to live. While traveling, he picked up 3 languages on the way: English, Thai, and Laos. Getting to the U.S. was hard, yet they were able to overcome the obstacles they faced. These jewelries were given to me as a way to be successful and lucky in the future, just like how they were in the past.

– JH

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