Immigrating to the United States from the Philippines at the age of five or six has always been a huge turning point for not only my life but for the lives of the rest of my family. My dad actually came to the United States before me and my mother. When it was time for my mother and I to join my dad and other family members, we ended up bringing three identical photo albums with us.

The first photo album contains pictures primarily of my dad and his experience in the United States with other family members. The pictures depicted a lot of happy faces and moments. The second album contains pictures of family and friends we would have to leave behind in the Philippines. In this album, pictures of our old house, my school, and our extended family’s house can be seen. The third album contains photos of my family’s first couple of years together in the United States. A lot of the photos were of me and my cousins, new family friends, and the first home we lived in in Yonkers.

The three photo albums represent our roots and the future hopes most immigrants have about coming to America. The second album especially reminds my family of where we came from and the people we’ve had to physically leave behind. The first depicts the possibilities of the United States had for my family: economic and political stability. The third album shows that we’ve managed to create new lives and homes for ourselves in New York. These photo albums contain my family’s hopes, dreams, and memories.

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child