My family immigration story is like a collection of stones, vast in arrangement, some moments pretty whilst others not. In my family, we owned a big collection of rocks ever since my parents moved from Cambodia to America. My parents, born in Cambodia, grew up during the Khmer Rouge regime, they were treated as slaves by communist dictators who led the nation with corruption. So when the regime ended, my parents desired to leave Cambodia and hoped to find happiness elsewhere. To which the universe had bestowed them with sponsorship to America. Given this opportunity, they took the first flight to a new country. One day, whilst rummaging through my father’s office, I noticed a small bag resting near my father’s collection. I curiously opened the bag to find a bright pink, smooth rose quartz. Marveling at the vast difference in texture and appearance compared to the sandstone that my father had, prompted me to ask my sister where this stone came from. She told me the story about this stone, telling me this quartz was one of the first purchases my father made when coming to America. My father would find or purchase stones from different places he’d visited, gathering these stones he had unknowingly made an array of memories. I learned the importance of our rock collection and it reminds us of a Buddhist principle that we will be able to omit suffering from our lives through the means of mindfulness and self-restoration. Going through our families’ rock collection, I truly feel the emotions of my parents’ journey to America from Cambodia and all the trips around the world. 

– Dylan C.

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