I grew up in a religious family, where they believed in holy spirits.  Even though I did not believe in their religion, I got accustomed to it and somehow, it changed the way I think. My grandmother was the first one in my family to migrate to the United States, and as she explained the process, it scared me because she almost died trying to get here. She always told us how lucky we are and that she risked her life so we could have a better place to live.  I will always be grateful. I came to the United States along with my mother and sister when I was 8 years old and it was a surprising experience because I got to have views that I never had before and experience a new environment. The fact that we moved to a new place did not mean we left everything behind - our tradition and beliefs were still kept with us. My family has a belief in always having jewelry that has a significant or a religious object that will be related to a religious spirit and for us, it is a bracelet with the image of the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary for us represents protection and good luck, so whenever we are going through a difficulty in life, as long as we are wearing that bracelet, everything will go alright. The bracelet was a gift from my mom to me since almost everyone in my family has one, it became a tradition for us to own one. 

 

– Cristal Tavarez

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