As we all know, espresso is a type of coffee associated with Italy and is known for waking the body up immediately. It could be made using a moka pot, which has been passed down in my family for several generations. My family received the traditional moka pot when I was about 8 years old, and it has found its use at every holiday dinner ever since. Starting generations ago, my great-great-grandmother, Janet Nuttuno, purchased the moka pot from a small store in Napoli, Italy, where most of my family is from. At each family gathering, it would serve its purpose not only as a coffee maker, but as a conversation enhancer. Over time, the moka pot purchased decades ago started to become old-looking and rusty. Surprisingly, it would still work just as well as when it was bought and caught the eye of every individual that passed by it. This is because it would make a crazy sound, one that reminded us of how loud and insane our family really was. My family in particular nailed the stereotype of noisy italians right on the spot. As a result of appealing to this stereotype, it made holiday dinners very amusing and essentially created a strong, and secure bond with each other.  The moka pot held a deeper meaning to our family, other than just making the world's best coffee. In a time where all was hectic, the coffee brought everyone together at each holiday, and allowed us to share the love we had for our ancestors who generated the underlying meaning of just a pot.

– Ashley Pugliese

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more