As a Dominican, food has always been an important part of my identity. Even though I wasn’t born in the Dominican Republic, I moved there at a really young age. I vividly remember sitting around the dinner table with my family, and I grew accustomed to warm, home cooked meals. Eating became a bonding experience, and conservations in the dining room were a comfort. Leaving that familiar sense of comfort and stability was nothing like I could’ve ever imagined. When I moved back to New York City, everything was so new and intimidating. Still, throughout it all, I could rely on my love of food. Dinner time was a safe space, where I could discuss the challenges of adjusting to a new environment. Being miles away from a place I once called home was difficult, even isolating at times. Food gave me a way to share a part of my culture with my family, and made me feel less alone. My relationship with my own Dominican identity has always been complex. Most of my family lives in an entirely different country, and I’ve found it hard to be connected to them at times. Learning how to make mangu (mashed plantains) and salami, eating rice and beans, drinking jugo de chinola (passionfruit juice)-- it’s a way to keep that part of my identity alive.

– Ashlyn

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