For my object, I chose a little hanging doll that used to hang up on my lamp when I lived in Brazil. When I was little, my mother bought the doll for me, which is a blonde little ballerina, and her body is hung up by thin clear strands which connect to a circle that you can use to hang on things. There are also some owls on a log that are hung up by the clear strand, which are made from cardboard, wood, and cloth. When I was younger I used to really like doing ballet, and would do it every week. My mother would take me to the studio. Sometimes my father would too, and when I had dance shows they’d come watch me. In my ballet studio, I always used to eat pão de queijo and drink guaravita after my ballet classes, which were my favorite foods from Brazil. My doll reminds me of those good times. My mother passed away when I was 7 years old from leukemia. My family and I were very sad once she passed away. I’d find my dad crying sometimes, and I would cry too. My room was full of things that my mother gave me, but the hanging ballerina was always very special. In 2017, when I was 9, I moved from Brazil to The United States. I came to Santa Monica and started school here. For a long time I didn't know I still had my hanging ballerina. I'd miss my mom, and a big part of it was that I started to forget her since it had been 2 years after her death. I found my hanging ballerina around 6 months ago again, and since then I've kept her close. She deeply reminds me of my mother and my room, and is important to me. I’ll make sure to never lose her again. 

– JMG

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant