Something my mom brought back from her most recent trip to Ecuador was a small souvenir based on the Jarron de Barro, a traditional clay jar. The Jarron de Barro is a tool used to heat liquids over an open fire, particularly in the mountainous areas of Ecuador. My grandparents, originally  from the mountains of Ecuador, would use a Jarron de Barro to boil water and milk, cook, and make coffee. They emigrated from Ecuador to the United States in 1976, and my mom has told me about my grandparents’ life before they arrived here, including what it was like in the mountains and aspects of Ecuadorian culture I was not aware of. This small replica of a Jarron de Barro serves as a connection to my family’s Ecuadorian roots and as a reminder of where my grandparents came from before migrating to America. 

– Miah Carrasco

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant