Folding joss paper, otherwise known as incense paper, is one of the earliest memories I have related to my religion, Buddhism. While I'm not exactly the most religious person, I follow this Chinese tradition because of my parents. They were originally born in China, but then moved to Vietnam. In their mid-teens and during the Vietnam War, my mom came to America by plane and my dad by boat. My mom told me how she had to leave her dog, Yupi, behind; meanwhile, my dad recounted how some of the first artists he heard when he arrived to America were Elton John, Billy Joel, and Elvis Presley. My parents met each other in Brooklyn College and fell in love. They married in their late 20's/early 30's and now have 4 children: my two older sisters, my older brother, and me.         My family folds joss paper whenever we pray to our ancestors or gods/goddesses, during funerals, and during major celebrations, such as Chinese New Year. I didn't start folding joss paper with my parents until my grandpa's funeral in 2017. I'm 16 now, but it was eye-opening to participate hands-on in my culture when I was 9. After folding what seemed like tens of bags full of the joss paper, my family, including my cousins and guests, would burn them. It may seem pointless to just burn the paper after meticulously folding them into the shape of a gold ingot, but burning them signifies sending money to whomever the recipient is as an offering. In the afterlife, we believe our ancestors will be able to use the "money" that we've burned. 

– Pheyton P.

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