This photo depicts many unsung heroes of our Americans who fought in the armed forces. My Grandfather was "Angel 'Wilson' Figueroa" and he was one of many Puerto Ricans who volunteered to fight for the cause during the communist oppression of the Korean War in 1951. He is centered here holding a vinyl record with his two comrades during a furlough in East Germany. It would be a great sacrifice that would later pave the way for my grandfather who signed up with the promise of a new life in the United States after he served his tour in Korea. My grandfather survived thank goodness and migrated to New York City soon after in 1953 where he would meet my grandmother and they would eventually have three children . . . one of them being my mother. My grandparents would migrate originally in the Bronx and settle a few years later in Brooklyn. Many years later my grandfather was honored for his service during the Korean War and recognized for his service to his country by making him an honorary "Borinqueneer" a regiment of the 65th infantry during the Korean War. My family tree would grow slowly over the next decades in New York because of my grandparents and there sacrifices to leave the little island of Puerto Rico for a better life in New York City.

– Angel Baez Jr

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