Growing up my mom had this coffee pot that only came out during breakfast on Sunday mornings and at family gatherings like our summer BBQ’s. My grandmother on my mom’s side had given it to my parents around December of 1999 when she came to visit from El Salvador. One of my first memories of this coffee pot was for my brother’s first birthday, we had a BBQ with the entire family. Towards the end of my night (I was 5 at the time so I was sent to bed early) my mom brought out the coffee pot and pan dulce (pastries). In my family when the coffee and pastries come out it means the night is just getting started, at least for the adults. My sister and most of my cousins were a lot older than I, so they would get to stay up late with the adults. I remember asking my parents if I could stay up a little later so that I could hang out with them, but of course they said no. I was around 13 when they finally let me stay up and it made me feel like I was finally a “grown up.” Everyone would sit around the table with their cup of coffee and the cafetera in the middle, and they would tell us stories about their childhood in El Salvador.

– Stephanie

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