My Family Culture

Although imagining that a major catastrophe has devastated the infrastructure of my home country and my family and I must leave to a foreign country is almost unimaginable to me, this may be a reality for many families and children worldwide, including those who are seeking political asylum or are refugees. Imagining that I would have to live somewhere else for an unknown amount of time, possibly permanently, would raise many fears and uncertainties in me.

My son, Jack, sleeping
with my baby blanket (July 2011)

Imagining that on top of this I can only take three possessions with me is difficult.  After much thought I decided that I would take my mother’s recipe box, a family photo album, and my baby blanket. My mother’s recipe box contains recipes from her and both of my grandmothers; it is something that would allow me to preserve a part of my culture and family. Bringing a photo album of my family would help me keep my memories and show my son and future generations their relatives and images from my home country. My baby blanket holds sentimental value to me as my grandmother made it for me when I was born and it is something that I have kept over the years as a comfort and can now pass on to my son.

If after all this, I was told that I could only keep one item, I would be faced with a difficult decision. I do not know what I would choose because these three items all have different significance and meanings to me. The first item, the recipe box, is a way to maintain my culture and what I am familiar with; the second item, a family photo album, is a way to preserve memories and family; and the third item, my baby blanket, is a sentimental comfort item with ties to my family. Thinking about my possessions and what I would chose to bring made me realize that some of the most important things are not necessarily valuable or useful  objects but rather things that are sentimental and I feel connected to; many of my possessions could be replaced but these three could not. Leaving one or more behind would not only be sad but would feel like having to choose which part of me was the least important.

After imagining this scenario, I realize how fortunate I am to be in my home country with my family possessions and culture around me. I can’t imagine the choices that families have to make when moving to a new country along with the other difficulties they face (learning a new language and culture, finding their way around, etc.) all while trying to hold onto their culture/family culture  and succeed in the new country at the same time. One thing that came to mind was that even if I brought these things and tried to hold on to my culture, it may not be passed on if my son chose to assimilate and lose the language and values I have taught him. This made me realize how important it is for us to help respect and preserve the cultures that we see in our classrooms; teaching children to value their own background and family can help create a safe and welcoming space that embraces all the children and families we work with as well as helping preserve and honor their cultural ties and backgrounds.