Ever since I was little, one of the things I can remember is having this red string bracelet tied around my wrist, probably because I could never take it off. My parents wore it, my siblings wore it, even my grandparents in Mexico wore it.  To this day I still wear it. I wear two to be exact. I’ve always wondered what it was for and why I wore it. I’ve asked my mom why I've always had it and why everyone else I know in my family has also had it. She explained to me that the reason we wear the bracelet is for our protection, to ward off what we say in Spanish, “Mal de Ojo” or bad vibes, from people who want to bring the bad into us. And it’s not just us, many other Hispanics in the world wear the red bracelet too. For example, babies in most Latin American countries are almost immediately given the red string and have it tied around their wrist or ankles. It’s a very simple string but with a powerful meaning behind it. Wearing the red bracelet, especially the one my grandma made me when I went to go visit her in Mexico, makes me feel protected and honored. It’s nice knowing that my parents care about me by putting this bracelet on me, in hopes to keep me protected. And it’s also nice seeing it pass down the family line like an heirloom but at the same time, not an heirloom. How I know it’s important to my family is because each one of us wears it, and it’s not the same bracelet, they’re all a little different but with the same meaning, and it makes me happy that we’re all very proud to be wearing the red bracelet. The bracelet that represents a part in our Hispanic culture. 

– Maria Miguel

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