My mother’s side of my family are immigrants, and when they migrated to different countries, they left almost everything behind except the special object called the Gye Nyame symbol. The Gye Nyame is a adinkra symbol from Ghana. The symbol means “except for God or the supremacy of God”; it is a beautiful and unique symbol in Ghana. Ghanaians use the symbol on clothing, decorations, and artwork, and it reflects the religious character of a Ghanaian. In most of my relatives’ houses, a Gye Nyame symbol is displayed on the wall. When my relatives came to America, they were struggling to fit in, they couldn’t speak the language, their accents were strong and also it was hard for them to find jobs to provide for their families, but they still made it through all the struggles. Every New Years, we go to church and praise and thank God for all he had done our families. We all dress in African clothing with the Gye Nyame Adinkra print on our clothes. That symbol means a lot to me and my family because it reminds us that God is always there even if you have any problems that are going on. We should not fear of anything, and it will remind us not to be afraid, and fight our troubles. It is very special to me because it is a gift from my great grandmother; the object was in a box with a letter.

– Ohema B.

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