My mom and dad immigrated from the Philippines to the United States with the help of Victory Light Christian Church when they decided to give my parents a visa to move here to assist them. This single church helped my parents drastically as they had no other way of migrating to America, which would have resulted in continuous poverty and homelessness. My parents packed their whole lives into a few brown boxes, leaving behind the minor amount of what they had already worked for and causing them to start over once they arrived in America. To make up for those material possessions they lost, pictures became a new way to keep memories they once physically had. Our photo album contained many memories my family held with the church and our weekly visits remind us. Many of these photos had pictures of my parents’ decorative wedding, my dad singing as he was pulling on his guitar’s steel strings, my mom dancing with a ringing tambourine, and my stumbling feet as they tried to dance along to the music. Appreciating these memories was a heartwarming experience because these pictures gave me a sense of reminiscence and a reminder to enjoy the moments. Seeing these memories made me realize that this photo album was more than an object taking up space on the wooden shelf. These pictures displayed a story of pure bliss, not depicting anything beyond that.

– Gabriel Villacrucis

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