To most, this bronze metallic object is insignificant. For me and my family, this is a symbol of faith and good fortune. Two statues stood still in the same dining room of my house for as long as I could remember. Initially, I didn’t acknowledge much of these statues when I was younger—if anything—I thought they were merely decorations. In a way, I grew up in the dark of my parent’s history as we never talked with each other about these kinds of things. As a child, subconsciously connecting the puzzles to arrange an understanding of my complicated history was how I learned about my family. Going on annual trips to a temple, praying, and burning incenses to eventually stick in uncooked cups of rice—these were all things that I knew were related to each other, but didn’t know their significance. As I grew older, and as more pieces were put together, I started to realize the importance of this ‘brown humanoid object’ sitting in my house—his name is Buddha. My family history isn’t the most unique, many of my friends have similar background experiences as they are a big part of us; sharing common views and beliefs makes us connected. I’m still in the dark about a lot of things—and maybe—by the time I'm a little bit older, my puzzle will be complete.
 

– VT

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