This bracelet is one worn by my maternal grandmother, Margie. It is wide, with an eye-catching bronze center that contrasts with the surrounding silver. I wear my grandmother’s bracelet on special occasions—the cold metal always requires me to brace myself before it makes contact with my skin. My grandmother passed away at the age of 22; my mother was 5. After her death, photographs were put away to quiet the grief, and no one spoke of her. My mother rebelled against this silence, making the conscious decision to raise my sisters and I in an open household.
This story symbolizes the unknowns of my family’s immigration history. My paternal grandfather, from Nigeria, and grandmother, from Finland, were immigrants. My grandfather immigrated for education but always hoped to move back to Nigeria and reform their political system. He passed away when I was 8 months old. My father and aunt often say they wished they asked him more questions about his life, but one description of my grandfather stands out that my dad told me: “…he respected tradition but he didn’t necessarily embrace it for himself.” This information allows me to feel closer to my family.
My grandmother—my only living grandparent—has the tendency not to go into detail. She was the first born of eight and the only sibling to leave Finland. I associate this with her need to find herself. My grandmother’s bracelet represents the silence within my family, silence that I actively refuse, and my desire to learn more about my family’s story.

– SO

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant