My parents came to New York from Puerto Rico in the 1990's. Although they were American citizens, they felt alien in this strange land. Without family, friends, or even fluency in english, my parents sought to live here to give my siblings and I access to greater opportunities than they had growing up in San Juan. However, despite moving to what was considered a non-latino area at the time, my family did not forget their culture or values. One thing that remained constant in my childhood was the "spanglish" of my parents, the reggaeton music of their era, and the wooden dominos set they brought so we could spend our nights playing with. On days my father would come back late from work, my mother and siblings would sit down in the kitchen playing with the wooden set. Our mother would explain to us the origin of the game, stories from her life, and allow us to connect to our history and our family still living in Puerto Rico through our learning. In a sense, the dominos set was my connection back to my heritage and a symbol of sacrifice--giving me the opportunity to better understand my situation and my past. 

– Brandon Ortega

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