My father is the most religious member of the family. If we need help on our Arabic, he is there to help. My father was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. I remember when I was 11, my dad used to take me to this park nearby my house. He used to tell me stories about his experience in Mogadishu. “When i was 14,  I was sent to a boarding school, then after that i had to live on my own. I had to cook and clean for myself” He would say. He always taught me how to stay humble and appreciate. “Stay grateful for what you got because you never know when it’s gonna disappear. You have a place to call home, you are a dependent.” My aunt and him had a normal life in Mogadishu...normal for someone in Somalia. Riding camels isn’t very normal in the United States. They were a big happy family until a war broke out in Somalia. People were fleeing the country! Eventually my aunt was sent to Istanbul to live as a intern. Years later, my dad was out of boarding school, my aunt travelled to the USA, and my dad stayed in Somalia until he joined my aunt in the US. He brought along a couple artifacts my grandfather had when he was younger. One of them is this candle called the Uunsi.

– Asma Hassan

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant