My name is Rafael Borges. I was born in 2003, which was10 years before my grandfather passed away. My grandfather’s name was also Rafael Borges. I never got to know him, because we lived in different countries and were not able to get enough money to take me over to Mexico. Ever since his passing, every year on the day of his death we put offerings in a shrine dedicated to him, my grandma who has also passed away, and some religious figures. My dad also likes to tell us stories about my grandpa and what type of person he was. With us honoring his passing every year, and the stories my dad tells us, I can gain an understanding of how my grandfather was, despite never having met him. My dad’s side of the family grew up in Hidalgo, a small state in Mexico. At a young age, my dad dropped out of school to help my grandpa out financially by working. A few years later, my dad decided to go to the United States to get a better job to help support his parents. This decision made it so he only ever saw him a few weeks every year. Despite that, he always made it his top priority to visit his family every year and to be with them. Which taught me a very important message about the importance of family.
 

– RB

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