After 28 years of living in the Dominican Republic, my mother, finally decided to immigrate to America with my father, whom had resided within the country since he was 20 years old (1992). My mother would be the first of 8 siblings to move out of the countryside into a new nation. New and foreign cultures awaited my mother in the land of immigrants and she needed something to remind her of her native culture. My grandmother went ahead and supplied her with a pilon, the item we would use to make mofongo, mangu, and concoctions for other foods. This simple item would be the most important item, other than the stove, in my kitchen as it served two purposes. it served the purpose of feeding my mother, father, and I, and also preserving our Dominican culture in America.

– Jesus Mendez

Relationship:  unknown unknown