When my grandmother, my aunts, and my father first moved to the US from the Philippines in 1971, this was one of the things they brought with them in their suitcases – a vibrant blue flower-patterned dress.  This dress had been made by a distant cousin whom they lived near back in their hometown of Manila. Back in the Philippines, most of the dresses that they wore were made by this cousin of theirs – you brought her fabric, and she would make a wonderful dress for you in return. She did it for almost everyone in the extended family. Many of the dresses she made were very well-made imitations of designer designs.  This dress became a staple of my grandmother’s wardrobe for a variety of occasions. 

When they first arrived in California in 1971, this dress was one of the things that they had that tethered them back to their roots.  As new immigrants, they started out with a relatively modest lifestyle, and that included sticking to the basics when it came to clothes. This dress was one of the few she had, and so it became a mainstay when it came time to appear at a social event. My grandmother would wear this dress during various gatherings, such as at mass, church socials, and large family gatherings. It became a part of many of the family’s fond memories of her. 

For my grandparents, aunts, and father, it was a reminder of the homeland – the land of their family, the land of their culture, and where everything had started.

– LH-G

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