My item is a small statue of the Virgin Mary, stepping on a serpent, handed down by my grandmother. When my grandmother’s mom was younger, she was kidnapped by Rafael Trujillo, who was then the dictator of the Dominican Republic, in order to marry his brother, Hector Trujillo. My great-grandmother feared that if she refused to marry him, she would be killed, but with the Virgin Mary and God watching over her, she safely escaped. My grandma believes that the statue protects and watches over us, just as her parents who have now passed away did. This statue of the Virgin Mary is important to our family because we believe it is what protects us, and our loved ones.

– Arianna Villavicencio

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