In 1994, my mother immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, with her younger siblings, parents, and grandmother. Beforehand, she lived in Belarus and shared a single room with her three siblings. The room was no bigger than a typical bathroom, and the only decorations were two small elephants, no bigger than a cutting board. Today, those elephants are the centerpiece in my living room. My mother often tells me that she has a special feeling about the elephants. As a child, she would speak to them whenever something good happened in life, finding comfort and reassurance in their presence. When immigrating to America at 17 years old, she packed them as she believed they brought her good luck and gave her the opportunity for a fresh start. Initially, they were kept in a closet for several years in my grandmother's home, until three years after arriving, my mother got married and took the elephants with her. My family moved through the three apartments, but my mother never threw them away. For the past 14 years, they have had a permanent place at the center of my living room's dining cabinet.  Whenever good news is brought into the house, it is always shared in the living room. I received my Macaulay acceptance there, my sister opened her dream dental school acceptance there, and it was in that very room that we learned my father survived his heart attack. Over time, I have grown to believe that the elephants bring luck and symbolize hope for the future. One day, I hope to inherit these elephants and make them a centerpiece in my own home.

– EV

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