Ever since I could remember this necklace has been with me through thick and thin, through the good and bad. This necklaces has engraved our lord( Jesus Cristo)  and our lady (La Virgen De Guadalupe) There’s never a moment I have decided to take it off as for me it represents protection, belief and the scarifies my family has made to get us where we are today. I chose to use this necklace as the representation of my story because it was given to me by my grandmother.  This necklace was given to my grandmother by her mother as sign of hope, prayer and belief, moments before my great grandmother passed away This necklace not only represent the love I have for Jesus and the Virgin Mary but the love I have for my grandparents and how they did the most to give her children and her grandchildren a better life. When I was of age to understand life, my grandmother had told me, that this necklace had been through hell and back and she shared with me the sacrifices and hardships her and my grandfather faced trying to cross the border with young children leaving behind their vida and familia. My grandmother once told me “Open your heart to our lord and our lady and you will never be alone”. This necklace to me makes me feel safe when I don’t. This necklace makes me feel sure of who I am and where I came from. The audio file included is a prayer. I decided to include the prayer because my grandmother implanted in me that it’s a healthy way to end the night.

– Vanessa Gamez

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