Great Grandparents
My object is a picture of my maternal great-grandparents, Emilio and Clemencia Pimentel. My great-grandparents came to New York from Puerto Rico in the 1940s. They came to the United States on the SS Marine Tiger which was an Army troop ship during WWII and became a passenger ship that played an important role in the Puerto Rican migration. In Puerto Rico, my great-grandfather worked on a farm. His roots are traced back to Taino Indians and African slaves who worked on the sugar plantations. My great-grandparents came to the US for a better opportunity and lived in Spanish Harlem, which was a very popular area for Puerto Ricans to settle in. My great-grandfather was a butcher and became the head of the meat packers union. My great-grandmother was originally a seamstress in the garment district but when she and my great-grandfather started a family, she stayed home to care for their 7 children, including my grandmother. My great-grandparents were so brave and took the chance for a better opportunity for themselves and for the many generations of family members that followed. This picture is important to me because it demonstrates the initiative, resourcefulness, and risk-taking that I want to have in life to open doors for my children and others.
– DB
Relationship: Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more