The seashells in these photos come from Grenada, the island where my mother and the rest of my family are from. I am the first person in my family to be born in the United States, which makes me a first-generation American. My mother didn’t bring seashells with her when she first migrated, but once she was able to return to Grenada after receiving her papers, we began collecting seashells together and bringing them back home to America. Over time, it became a tradition: every new member of our family received a seashell with their name on it, and others were decorated with words like “family,” “love,” and “us.”

Grenada is surrounded by water, so it feels symbolic that seashells are the objects that tie us back to home. Each one carries not just memories of the island, but also the weight of the sacrifices my mother made for me, my sister, and now her grandchildren. Every time I look at them, I’m reminded that we are oceans away from the small island she once called home... a place where so many people dream of leaving in hopes of opportunity. For me, the seashells represent both where we came from and the life my mother made possible for us here in America. They are a reminder that while our roots are in Grenada, our future has been shaped by her courage to start over.

– KRMK

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