When my family moved to the United States, I was only 7 years old. We were all Roman Catholics and my mom in particular was more religious than the rest of us. Back in the Philippines, we would go to church every Sunday in the sweltering heat of the sun. On our plane ride from the Philippines to the United States, I remember my mom had a rosary in her hand and recited the prayer for each bead in the rosary until she completed the entire rosary. She prayed for our safety in the plane ride and a blessing for a good life in America. Today, we don't go to church as often as we used to since my mom works two jobs and my dad works on weekends. However, my mom still does her best to try to take us to church on as many available Sundays as possible. She still constantly reminds our family to pray before going to sleep every night and pray for the safety of our family as well as our family members back in the Philippines. She keeps a rosary under her pillow and uses it especially during very trying times in our family. The rosary reminds me of my family's life in the Philippines, how much of a role it played in our process of moving to the United States, and how much of a role it still plays in our lives today.

– Zach Yuzon

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child