The war helmet originates from the Vietnam War and has been passed down to my generation figuratively. The helmet garners many interpretations and meanings, from a past war era to a life full of struggles and trauma. My grandfather served in the Vietnam War until 1975 with the helmet and was imprisoned for seven years. My mother's family lived in turmoil as the consequences of the war resulted in the Communist regime; her home was stolen, and her family relocated to the jungle with a better economy. Receiving the post-traumatic stress my family endured during the war, late former senator John McCain III allowed my family and the rest of the Vietnamese refugees to emigrate to the United States. It was not until 1995 that my family stepped foot in Los Angeles for the first time. Today, the helmet serves as a representation of my family's struggling past and an interpretation of motivation and hardship. My mother would tell me stories about the Cold War and Communism, and she would also mention the war itself because the helmet is what enlisted soldiers wore during that time, and we observed them from Vietnamese TV channels.

– Tommy Nguyen

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