My story begins in Guanajuato, Mexico in 1929 with a chest that has traveled across generations and the world.  My great grandmother Tomasa Sandoval was leaving her parents house to move in with her husband Juan Rodriguez after getting married.  As she was gathering all her belongings her mother came in with a large chest that was about to set off on it's journey.  The chest was brown with silver edges and it had a golden lock.  My great grandmother took the chest and put all of  her belongings in it.  Years later in 1952 my grandpa Rafael Rodriguez was packing and getting ready to leave Mexico  to go to the U.S. for a job and a new adventure.  As my grandpa was gathering his belongings my great grandmother comes to him and tells him that she has a surprise for him, as he headed to the living room a large chest was waiting for him.  His mother told him that she would like for him to take it with him as a memory of her.
This was how chest came to the U.S..  One day my grandparents were having a garage sale in 2002 my mom Margaritha Rodriguez noticed a large with tarnished edges and a broken lock for sale.  My mother asked where my grandpa got the chest, he started to tell her the story my mother went and quickly took the price sign off and took the chest inside.  Now the chest sits beautifully in my mom's office, who knows how many more adventures and countries it will be in one day.

– Christopher Aguayo

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant