Sewing Machine
My great-great-grandmother owned this sewing machine. She was a seamstress. The sewing machine is black and is made out of iron, and feels smooth. It was used for sewing many things, such as clothes that needed to be repaired. This sewing machine was used for decades before it stopped working. After my great-great-grandmother, my great-aunt also used this machine. My object came from Mexico and has traveled over 3,000 miles north to the United States. I found out about my object earlier this week when my aunt brought up that she still has the sewing machine from long ago. This sewing machine is a symbol of the humble beginnings of my family. This object makes me feel a little more curious because I want to know what kind of clothes were made. I can imagine my great-great grandmother trying to fix a ripped piece of some clothing, running her hands expertly as she fixes these for the millionth time. I would like to know how often the machine was used, or if the machine ever broke. My family story is similar to those that we have studied because the object represents our path to coming to America looking for a better life like most Europeans that came to Ellis Island. In both cases, there were many challenges that they needed to overcome like the language barrier, prejudice, and overall having to assimilate to a new culture.
– Isaura Z.
Relationship: Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more