My grandmother was born and raised in Mexico along with her five siblings. My grandfather lived in Brooklyn all of his life. My grandmother’s two sisters were coming to New York to get on a boat to Israel. My grandmother came to the U.S. to drop them off and to search for a wedding dress. At the time, she was engaged to another man in Mexico. It was May of 1956 when she met my grandfather. They instantly fell in love. She left her fiancé at the time to be with my grandfather. He went to Mexico in July of 1956 to propose to her. My grandfather didn’t have much at the time, but he spent what he had on a wedding ring for my grandmother. They got married in Mexico on September 4th of 1956. My grandmother moved to the United States with my grandfather and became a lawful permanent resident. They started their family in Brooklyn. All but one of my grandmother’s siblings immigrated to the United States at some point as well. This story is important to me because it is not only my family’s immigration story, but also the story of how my grandparents fell in love. Among many significant reasons that explain why this story means so much to me, it reminds me of my heritage. The concepts of family, identity, and love are encompassed in one singular object. 

– Carly Pyles

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