After my parents came to the United States from Bangladesh in 1993, they experienced a lot of difficulties adjusting to a new life. A few of these challenges included a language barrier and an unstable financial situation. Creating and supporting a family in their first years in a new country was definitely not an easy task. Therefore, they both worked very hard, studying and doing several part-time jobs. My father’s dinner plate was one of the first things they bought when they came to this country. This object is very important to me because it symbolizes all the hard work my parents have done after coming to this country to make a living and to support our family. This plate holds the food that in itself is a symbol of the money that they earned through their hard work; the nourishment that keeps this family alive, both physically and metaphorically. Every time we sit down to eat as a family, I look down at the plate and see the years of struggle put in to acquire it. I see the distance my parents traveled and the obstacles they overcame for it. My family wouldn’t be together without this plate, or its story.

– Tasnima

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