I have never really felt connected to my Mexican culture because of the fact that I didn’t grow up surrounded by a lot of Mexican traditions. When my mother immigrated from Mexico, she was pretty young and had to quickly adjust to American culture. After my brothers and I were born, she tried her best to have us somewhat connected with her culture. It always upset me when I would listen to my mothers stories of when she was in Mexico because I know I will never have the same experience as her, and that as time goes on, my attachment to my culture will eventually fade more and more away. I remember that in my elementary school, there used to be an annual cultural day, where everyone represented their culture through food, clothing and other artifacts. One year, I was able to wear a traditional Mexican dress, where I could represent my culture. This dress helps me connect with my Mexican heritage because it shows my culture’s connection with innocence. The color white, the length and the coverage, shows how a girl’s innocence should be protected. The color red signifies my growth and almost coming of age. This dress connects me with some of the ideas people used to have in my culture and still have to this day. I oftentimes look back at this picture of me wearing the dress because it helps me see that I can still be connected with a culture that I don’t completely know. 

– Sherlyn R.

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant