Matador is a disposable gel-ink pen that is produced in Bangladesh. For as long as I can remember, my family always stocked up on Bic and Pilot pens. However, following a visit to Bangladesh after a nine-year gap this past summer, my parents decided to buy some Matador pens. By purchasing Matador pens, my parents were able to transfer their everyday necessity from their school life to pre-immigration years to my sister and I. Coming from an educationally-oriented family, where education is one’s first priority because it is the key to attain knowledge, both of my parents were in academic fields. My mother pursued a career in geography and was a professor, while my father was drawn to mathematics and was a statistical officer. In order to keep pace with academics in Bangladesh, efficient and long-lasing writing utensils were necessary. For both of my parents, the Matador pen provided just that, efficiency. This particular type of pen was a symbol of determination to excel in all possible educational areas.  When my parents immigrated to the United States in search of a better life, they became disconnected from their beloved Matador pens.  Close alternatives to Matador were used to provide their children, my sister and I, a satisfying and filling educational experience. As I now have access to Matador pens, I can share the educational past of my parents and continue my own, something I was not able to do before.

– Farzana Yasmin

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