The object is my grandfather’s 35 mm film camera that he bought in the Philippines in 1970. My mom was born in the Quezon City, Philippines and her family moved to the US when she was 2 years old after my grandfather got a job as a Nuclear Engineer in Philadelphia, PA.  He eventually gave it to my mom when she was a freshman in high school. She loved taking pictures so much that she eventually went to Parsons School of Design in New York City and received a BFA in Photography. The camera was bought in 1970 shortly before my grandfather left to go to America, and the images he took with it documented a glimpse of his life in the Philippines before he moved, as well as the journey he made to America to raise a family that would change his life. The object holds significance both as an archive of memories, culture, and experiences that my grandfather had, and significance from a generational perspective, as my mother who used it quite often growing up eventually pursued a career in graphic design, visual art, and photography, documenting both the success of an immigrant father, and the career pursuit of his kid. 

– Samuel Jarvis

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