I carry all the women of my family inside of me. During the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan, my Great-grandmother and her family decided to migrate to the newly formed Islamic Republic of Pakistan for a shot at survival. Their town in India had been plundered by the Hindus and the Sikh majority. There seemed to be nothing left to do but make the trek over. The journey itself was riddled with obstacles. My Great-grandpa worried for the younger children and urged his wife to abandon their youngest with some of their Hindu friends. He promised that they would return after the dispute had settled but my Great-grandma refused, and instead vowed to keep her children near her throughout the journey of the month on foot. The youngest daughter, one of my Great- aunts was only a year old. To protect her from the blistering heat and to provide cover for the other kids at night, she used a bright orange shawl given to her at the wedding as protection. Once they made it to Islamabad, the shawl was dirty and tattered but it made it through and became a symbol of survival and strength in my family. Since then, all the women have gotten to admire the shawl and add their own touch to it.  When it came to my mom, she added embroidered flowers and brought it over to the States as she too, was making the journey to a new land to provide for a better life for her kids. The traveling shawl is immensely treasured and I am thankful for all that has been sacrificed for me to be here, like this, today. 

– Emaan Choudhry

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more