A cutting board is an object with seemingly no deeper meaning, but to me, it is much more. In my household, there are 6 people. We all live in the same house, yet we rarely spend time together as a family. This is not because we are distant or don't care, we just get busy. Usually, when we see each other it's when we cross paths in the kitchen. Even though most of the time we don't eat together, there's always someone in the kitchen making food. It's where my family and I catch up with each other. A staple of our kitchen counter is a wooden cutting board, whether it's being used or not, there's always one out. To me, a cutting board represents the hub of my family's communication and the mixed culture that we share. 

My grandmother moved from Puerto Rico to Florida to raise my dad and his siblings. I have not seen a lot of my grandmother, but one thing I always remember about visiting her is the food. She always makes pollo guisado, arroz con gandules, and homemade pasteles. As a child, I would often watch my dad recreate this meal. Using a chopping board and a knife to slice up potatoes and carrots for the pollo guisado. I would also watch my mom cook, cutting up celery and carrots for country style chicken soup. The kitchen was a place for me to explore the mixed culture of my family. My family and I have moved around quite a bit and although we have not always had the same kitchen, we still have the same cutting boards. They are one of the most consistent things in my life. Delicious food, talking to my family in the kitchen, and an abundance of wooden cutting boards. 

– Briana Matias

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