My grandmother first came to the U.S between 1980-1981, marrying a friend to receive her green card. At the time, she had already met my grandfather in Haiti and was pregnant with my mother. In 1981, she had given birth to my mom and decided to send her to Haiti at only a couple of months old. While in Haiti, my mother stayed with her grandmother, learning the language of creole along with the Haitian culture. At the age of 4, my mother came back to the U.S knowing little to no English, to then move to Canada 3 years later. Though she had gone through all of these changes, my mom was able to hold onto a very important part of our family’s culture and tradition, that being soup Joumou. Every New Year’s Day, my mother prepares a squash based soup, symbolizing the freedom and independence of Haiti. Many of the ingredients included in the soup are those that previous Haitian slaves were forbidden to use and consume while under France's colonization. When my mother was a child, her family also made the soup for her. To now have this tradition passed on to me is extremely important to me and it makes me feel connected to my Haitian roots. I hope that maybe someday I can prepare it, and share its glory with a family of my own. 

– Madison Davis

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