My object is a big piece of artwork from South Africa. My mom has a lot of memories surrounding this object. These memories are mostly of her time in South Africa when she was a college student. My mom’s best friend, Jann, made this art piece for an art show. However, before my mom left South Africa to come to America, Jann gave it to her as a goodbye present. I chose this artifact as the immigration object to share with you because my mom did not bring anything else from her country except for this object and this story. This object It represents friendship and community feeling we had with the people we knew in South Africa. For my mom, this object brings back the memories of her childhood, teenage and then her adult life. My mom had very many friends when she was in South Africa. She came to this country because she received a sculpture internship in 1991. So she had to move to America. At the beginning, my mom felt lonely in America but soon she was excited when she saw the what she planning to learn and do in the sculpture workshop. She met other interns who were incredible artists. She continues to miss the farm and her family back home, but she is learning to accept her new life here. We still go back quite often to keep the contact that we continue to have with my extended family in South Africa. I am thankful that my mom immigrated here though, because, now I have my own memories and making my own artwork with my awesome friends in America!

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