This wedding picture was taken of my maternal grandparents 8 years before they immigrated from Puerto Rico to Louisiana in January of 1982 for job-related reasons. Miguel and Maria Rodriguez were both born in Ponce, Puerto Rico in the early 1950s, and while my grandmother spent her life on the island up until the point of immigration, my grandfather spent his years migrating between Puerto Rico and Beacon, New York. My grandfather began working at the Union Carbide Corporation (now known as Dow Chemical Company) in 1972 while living Ponce. The plant began closing in 1981, which led to my grandparents relocating with their two young children to Luling, Louisiana in order to transfer to the plant located in Taft, Louisiana. The few other Puerto Rican families that also relocated to Louisiana at the time were spaced out along the Mississippi River in the south-east Louisiana area. My grandparents continue to live in the first home that they purchased in the mainland USA. My brother and I were born in Louisiana and are the first in our family to be born in the mainland USA. We are able to connect to our family's origin through oral histories from our family, along with the occasional trip back to the island. With objects like this wedding photo, my family is able to stay connected with our roots while planting new ones around the world. 

– Jenidza Rivera

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