My dad immigrated to the U.S in the early 1980s, following the Vietnam War. He came on a boat and experienced a horrendous, dangerous 2-week journey to get here. He came to the states in hopes of a new life and after he settled, he married my mom and she immigrated to the States in 1990. My dad immigrated to the States with his family but my mom came over by herself, leaving her whole family behind in Vietnam. I was born in America and ever since I was young, I always wore these jade bracelets. I'd wear them until they were so worn that we'd break it to get it off of me and I'd slip a new one on. My mom always wore two bracelets, and I could always differentiate the sound of the clink of those two bracelets. Every time I hear them, I would know my mom was near. Wearing the bracelets keeps me close to my heritage and is a reminder for me since my grandma sends over jade bracelets every few years from Vietnam. It makes her happy that a piece she picked out is carried with me everyday. I never take the bracelet off and to me, its a way for me to keep hold of my Vietnamese heritage. Every time I explain to someone my bracelet, I get to share a piece of my culture with them. Every older woman in my family wears a bracelet and I'm happy to be a part of that. 

– Nhi Nguyen

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