As innocent as it may seem, this mouse represents many things in our family. It represents war, destruction, and violence. But at the same time, it represents recovery and redemption. My family came here from Mexico, hoping to avoid violence and wanting to start a new life. They managed through hard times and successfully made a living. 
 But suddenly, war struck the political face of the US. My family became divided. One side actively despised and discouraged the war, while the other tolerated it. Some of them went off into the army, while orders were protesting it. But as the war in Afghanistan became increasingly longer, more found it to be pointless.  
One of our family members had gotten mentally sick, so he left the army. He lashed out at first, but with some help, he started coming around. He got a job, started reintegrating himself with society, and started socializing more. As of recently, he is doing well, things are finally starting to look up for him. As a gift, he gave me this mouse, which made me realize how far we’ve come. 

– Alejandro Rodriguez

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