I have a gold necklace with a small pendant attached to it; this is my favorite necklace. When I get stressed, my hands immediately trace their way back to its familiar chain. I was gifted this necklace by my godparents when I was baptized at ten years old. It features la Virgen de Guadalupe on one side along with my nickname, Sophie, and the day I was baptized engraved on the other. I was baptized in a small church in Puebla, Mexico.  It was my first time visiting. It was the first time I felt like I belonged, like I found my home. I talked with my grandparents. Currently my grandma is ninety-one and my grandpa is ninety-eight. There aren’t many opportunities for us to see each other. I remember my innocent brain trying to grasp every moment I had with them. We talked, laughed, ate, hugged, and prayed. We never did anything outside the normal daily routine, but I loved every second. My parents moved to the United States three years before I was born, hopeful to build a better life here in the states. We lived in Ohio until, eventually, we migrated to Las Vegas when I was three. My parents unfortunately do not have the time nor the funds to go back to Mexico. The American culture of hustling has worn them down; there is never a second to lose. Basking in the precious moments with my family is what I live for—I live for my parents who don’t give themselves the chance to. That’s what my necklace reminds me of. It serves to remind me to not let their sacrifices go to waste. 

– Sophia Ornelas Saldivar

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