The American Dream comes in all forms. To a 12 year old girl from Brazil, that dream was sparked when receiving a Wrinkles collector doll from the upscale FAO Schwarz toy store during a visit to New York in 1980. My grandparents had bought my mother this gift as a reward for earning high scores in school. “Work hard, and you can dream big,” they told her. And so she did. My mother went on to study diligently in high school, earn a bachelor’s degree and masters in economics, and 12 years later found herself back in New York. Except this time, she was here to stay in hopes of advancing her career at a top American bank. As she continued to move homes within New York, the doll has accompanied her, serving as a symbol of the hard work that has enabled her to upgrade her living conditions. 

– Dana Frenkel

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