My grandmother immigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union in the early 1970s. My mother is the only one out of her family to be born in the United States. Before my grandmother came to the states she had a bracelet made for herself by a Russian jeweler encrusted with diamonds. It was the most expensive thing she owned so she brought it with her when she left communist Russia. A few years after my mother was born, my grandmother had a pair of earrings made for her using two of the diamonds on the bracelet. This summer, when my sister turned sixteen my grandmother gave us both a necklace. My grandmother decided to gift both necklaces at the same time because she didn’t know if she would be alive when I turned sixteen. Each necklace has one diamond from the bracelet my grandmother had made in Russia. Now my grandmother has a bracelet, my mom has a pair of earrings and my sister and I each have a necklace, all with diamonds that were acquired in Russia many years ago. My necklace represents my grandmother’s immigration progress from the Soviet Union. When I look at my necklace I am able to think of my family’s history and what they have been through.

– EF

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant