My object is a picture of my father and the three fathers before him. When all four were at my great-grandfather’s house for a family get-together, my grandmother suggested they capture the special moment, and they decided to take the picture to commemorate the memory of having all four generations together. My family immigrated in the early 1800s from Europe due to the new freedoms and opportunities in America. This was a contrast with the harsh economic struggles and crop famines in Europe. Ever since they arrived, they’ve stuck to the southern states because of farming, a common job amongst my family for the first few generations in America. Despite where they’ve gone and what they’ve done, they’ve always tried to hold onto memories. We capture these memories in little colorful squares we call photos. Every one of my family members has a photobook with countless pictures of meaningful memories of the majority of their lives. This is why we value our pictures so much; they are a part of us.

– Jaxson Kirland

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