Basketball was always special hobby of mine, that was influenced by my father. In the Philippines, my grandfather played basketball, and taught my dad. My family then immigrated to the US,  and that was the only thing my dad had. Going to highschool with hardly any English and basketball, he was anxious. No English. No friends. No clue what to do. He did know one thing though, and that was how to play. Making the varsity team, bonds formed, and English was learned. He made lifelong connections and will continue have that basketball passion. I was put into it early, having videos from before my own memories. Something I do remember is my father and grandpa always teaching me something. Basketball became outlet from reality. Whenever I need alone time, learn, or to socialize, basketball would be there. I’ve learned about discipline and hard work, and traditions and stories from my family. Whenever I touch a basketball, a thousand memories flood my mind, not just mine, but everyone’s. This story does not end here, though. My sister picked up the game too. Now both my father and I get to teach her. The basketball that he used to teach me everything, got passed down. The sport will continue to live in my family because I’ll teach my kids about the sport and the culture it has behind it. It’s not just a sport. It represents the journey of my family from the Philippines to the US. It represents hard work and discipline. It represents the memories of the culture from back home.

– Gavin Cabrera

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