My grandmother is the most important person in my life who created her life from nothing to having a line of thriving children and grandchildren. My grandmother emigrated from Mexico to the United States when she was about 30 years old. She had already met my grandfather and had two children but still had to leave them behind to create a place of comfort and safety for them. Before she left for the United States, she married my grandfather in Mexico. Through her journey, she kept my grandfather’s wedding band on her at all times. The wedding band helped remind her about why she wanted to leave Mexico. She wanted a better life for her children and escape the crime in Mexico that was happening during that time. During the 1st wave of Mexican immigration, many people wished to move to the US for a better life and escape poverty in Mexico. The stigma that the US had better opportunities to grow surrounded Mexico and led to many people leaving the country. Because of this stigma, my grandmother decided to take the journey and made sure to take the wedding band that she cherished very much. My grandmother and I have always had a very close relationship, and when I graduated from high school, she gave me the wedding band. She told me always to remember that my family will always be with me even when they’re not physically next to me. I will always cherish this wedding band and keep it until I want to pass it on to my children in the future. 

– CM

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant