This spoon represents my Czech heritage because it is something I am certain to use every single day during my visits there. I go to the Czech Republic for a month every summer to visit my father’s side of the family. A large part of the culture that I participate in when I visit is eating soup every single day for lunch, the big meal of the day, where it is always served before the main course. I rarely eat soup when I am in the U.S. so coming to the Czech Republic over the summer and eating soup everyday is symbolic of the culture and the changes that come with visiting my family there. There is a sense of unity that comes with sitting around a large table outside with my cousins, aunts, and uncles and eating hot soup as the sun beats down. The soup is generally a simple broth made with any leftover vegetables, noodles, or meat that may be in the house. It is a long standing tradition that brings everyone together and creates a break in the day to reunite and figure out how to spend the afternoon. A spoon may just be the utensil used to eat the soup, but without it this tradition that means so much to me and my family and is representative of my Czech culture would not be possible.  The spoon I chose to photograph has my name written on it. My parents chose to name me Klara with a “K” because that is how it is traditionally spelled in Czech. Since it is a common name in the Czech Republic it is possible to get quirky personalized items such as this soup spoon. 

– Klara Wichterle

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