When my mom immigrated to the United States at 24 years old, she wasn’t able to bring much of home with her. One thing she was able to bring though, was my grandma’s tamales recipe. Tamales are a Mexican dish that are made from a dough (corn flour), meat (or cheese or fruits), and are wrapped in corn husks. My mom shares her knowledge with the whole family by cooking tamales for all of us to enjoy together. Tamales usually get made around Christmas time, when a lot of our family can spend time together. They can also be made for birthdays, or any time we want to share a dinner. The experience of everyone eating tamales together has given me a greater sense of family.  I now have a sense of community that I may or may not have had if my family didn’t participate in the sharing of foods and coming together. Tamales are important to me because they are yummy and are a staple in shared family moments. If my grandma hadn’t taught my mom how to make tamales, the unity of family from my mom’s side wouldn’t be as strong. Although we don’t spend much time with my father’s side of the family, I’m glad to know that at least one of his siblings knows how to make tamales, so they can also come together with their families.  
 

– Jasmine F.

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