My grandma was a single mom. An immigrant in the ever-growing New York city, and very poor, so when my dad was born his mom had to be his caretaker alone. They lived tighter than a knot with seven family members in one apartment. When he was one year old in 1981, he was sent to Ecuador to live with his grandparents(My great grandparents) because my grandma could not take care of him. Living in Ecuador as a young child was one of my dads core experiences, something that sticks with him to this day; like how your fingerprint makes you unique.His Cousin had a Monchichi doll and loved it very much, A Monchichi doll is a brand of doll that looks like a monkey. It is given to someone you care about very much as a gift of amity or as a toy for children. My dad quickly learned to love the Monchichi doll like it was his best friend. He and his cousin often fought indefinitely over the doll.A year later he had to leave Ecuador and go back to the big apple. At the Airport he cried oceans of tears because he didn’t want to leave the Monchichi doll, but because it was his cousins he couldn’t have it. But then, Out of the goodness of her heart, she gave him the Monchichi doll as a parting gift. My father brought it back to the states and kept it as a memory of Ecuador and family into adulthood, and when I was born he gave it to me. To end the story of the great Monchichi doll when my dad returned to Ecuador to visit a year or two ago. He brought his cousin a new Monchichi doll. To replace the one she had given him 42 years earlier.

– SRL

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