My story begins in Brooklyn, New York, but I am the descendant of immigrants. My mother was born in La Ceiba, Honduras into a Garifuna family and came to New York at a young age. My father was born in Queens, but his grandfather came to the US from Kingston, Jamaica, settling first in Boston and then eventually New York. 

These magnets represent the parts of me that I feel the most connected to - my Garifuna Honduran ancestry and my Jamaican ancestry and are located on my refrigerator as a constant reminder of where I come from. Being somewhat of an avid traveler, I like to collect magnets from various places and countries and place them on my fridge as a reminder of being there, and a connection to that place. Being magnets, they can be removed and relocated - a symbol and tribute to the migration that has happened within my family over the years. 

In 2019, I had the opportunity to visit both Honduras and Jamaica within one month of each other.  I had already been to Honduras several times, but the trip to Jamaica marked my first time on the island and I immediately felt the connection. I was also the first person in my family to return to Jamaica since my great-grandfather migrated to the US in the 1920s, so that full circle moment almost 100 years later  left me feeling something that was indescribable. 

– Kyle

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