I chose these shoes because they were a big part of finding my identity when I moved from Jamaica to America. I was the new immigrant kid no one could understand because I had a Jamaican accent. I forced myself to sound like everyone else, almost becoming ashamed to say I am Jamaican, but I was wrong. I should’ve been proud, and these shoes helped me to see that. The Clarks in the photo are a very popular shoe in Jamaican culture, but here in America, they mean nothing, and I always loved those shoes. But because no one had them, I didn’t want to stand out. However, when I got these as a gift, I learned a valuable lesson that it’s okay to stand out; that is a special part of being Jamaican. We stand out everywhere we go, and we should not be ashamed of that uniqueness; we should embrace it. 

– DH

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child