My object is my great-grandfather’s citizenship papers. They are the papers that introduced Jack Valusky (My great-grandfather) to America from Poland when he was 12. He became a button peddler and had a big box of buttons. The issue was, he only knew two words in English, “Look inside”. So whatever button anyone needed they could just “look inside”. One day, a police officer came up to him, asking him for his permit. Not knowing any other words and not understanding the policeman, he said, “Look inside.” The policeman looked inside and not finding a permit, Jack was forbidden from selling anything on the street ever again.  He learned more and better English, opened a linen store downtown, and had our family name engraved on the side of the building. This is important to my family’s heritage because it marks the beginning of the Lusks in the USA. This is important to me because I probably wouldn’t be alive if my Jack Valusky hadn’t immigrated and met my great-grandmother.

– Izy Lusk

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more