I have a lot of memories of my grandma who visited every summer staying at our not exactly spacious home from the time I was born until she got too sick to visit when I was around 13. When my grandmother was a newlywed living in the simple village of Ejido Emiliano Zapata, Sinaloa her mother gifted her a thick gold ring with her nickname on it, “Petrita.” It’s special because her mom put thought into having a personalized ring made for her. On my mother’s sixteenth birthday she received her ring with the same thick band but it was plain with just “Rosa” with leaves on either side. My grandmother had gifted her the ring as a coming of age gift, that’s where the tradition started. My grandma sat me on her lap when I was 7 and as I played with her fingers she told me about her ring. She had me try on her ring that fit her too tight and me too big. She told me that one day it’d be mine. Then when I was thirteen and the last time I saw her she brought me a simple gold band ring and gave my sister hers. I wasn’t upset that I hadn’t gotten her ring, I was upset they got me another ring to try to ease the blow. For my 15th birthday,I didn’t want a quinceanera, I wanted my own ring with my own name. Although it took a while due to Covid, I finally received my ring from Mexico. It took me a while to decide where to wear it since I was already wearing two rings. But just like my mom and grandma, I wear it on my middle finger. It means a lot to wear a ring that not only carries your name but also pays tribute to the women in your life that came before you.

– Siani X. C.

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