My family never really brought much when they first came to America, except for their family  recipes. My family, like my aunts and uncles,  specifically came to Napa because you could find a lot of work in wineries or field work. Since they didn’t really bring much, they had to use food as a way to connect with their culture. However, my family's most beloved recipe/traditional food would probably have to be tamales. They are made with meat, masa harina, salsa and wrapped in some sort of leaf, however corn husks are the most popular. Traditionally, tamales are made around Christmas in Mexico. My family continued their tradition of eating tamales during the holidays when they came to the US. I’ve been eating and helping my mom make tamales for as long as I could remember during Christmas time. It's honestly the thing I look forward to the most during the holiday season. Since they take so much time to prepare it's usually a job the whole family has to participate in and because of this, this dish is a very important part of my family and our holidays.

– Yvonne

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