“¿Estas bien?” my dad asks me every day over the phone. He is in El Salvador, stuck there because of an expired travel authorization. I haven't seen him in a long time (it’s been almost a year now), but I speak to him everyday.  My dad is an immigrant who came from El Salvador. He arrived with a dream of making money, helping his family, and starting one of his own. With him he brought his family's name, traditions, and language, which he passed down to my little brother and sister, and me. My siblings and I all speak Spanish thanks to my dad. It is the language I uttered my first words in, the language that raised me, the language that made me who I am. It is a language that allows me to speak with all of my family; a language that brings us together and connects me to my heritage. One of a humble farming family in El Salvador.I am uncertain if my dad will be present during some of the most important moments of my life, but he’s taught me some very important lessons, and every day when he asks me, “¿estas bien?” I can confidently say “si papa. ¿Y tú?”
 

– CG

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