My object is a painting of the cottage where my Nana grew up in Kerry, Ireland. My grandmother immigrated from Kerry, Ireland when she was seventeen years old and she came to Boston, Massachusetts. She immigrated to the U.S. because she grew up in poverty, and needed a job to support herself and her family back home. This painting is a significant part of my family history because it’s a symbol of the comfort and beauty of home. Home is different for everyone, but I believe it is somewhere that will always be there for you, no matter how far away you are. Home gives a certain comfort and love, and nothing else can compare. This painting shows how difficult it was for my grandmother to leave the comfort and love of her home to begin a new journey in her life and have opportunities that she never had before.Other people also appreciated my Nana’s home and the beauty of it. People would come to paint and write articles about this little cottage in Kerry because it representes the unique architecture and cultural identity of Ireland. In the painting my great Aunt Nora is shown in a red hat and yellow jacket, and my great Uncle Joey is next to her. Their inclusion in the painting gives it a personal meaning for me because it also shows my family. By looking at my Nana’s siblings and her home I can imagine how she must have felt leaving her home and her younger siblings, and how difficult and terrifying it was for her. When looking at this painting I feel grateful to be from such a beautiful place that has so many great memories and such significant meaning for my Nana. 

– MKC

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant