Jenny, an immigrant who moved to The Bronx in 2001. In her home country she worked at a museum as a budget analyst. Upon arriving in the United States, right after 9/11, her credentials did not translate and she was unable to continue working as a budget analyst. She couldn't do the process to validate her degree and jobs opportunities after 9/11 were tough. She took a job at her aunt's salon. It was not what she planned, but it was the only thing available to her at the time. At first it was incredibly hard because she went from working in a comfortable office to being all day standing washing hair. This necklace was gifted to Jenny by her mother-in-law as a symbol of hope and faith that her hardships were temporary not permanent. Her mother-in-law's message was that Jennifer was destined to lead something of her own. Over time, Jenny learned many hair techniques, developed relationships with clients, and  was promoted to a stylist role. Eventually, Jenny and her husband decided to open their own beauty salon and launched her own line of hair care products. What started as a casual job became her long-term career. Her story demonstrates how immigrant labor is often not linear, instead it is shaped through resilience and adaptability within a limited system. 

– CM

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant