As the child of immigrant parents and an artist, I felt compelled to narrate the immigrant experience. Not only did I wish to share their stories, but I also express my gratitude for their unwavering support in my journey to success. This project illuminates the unfulfilled aspirations of immigrants embarking on new journeys from their homelands in pursuit of better opportunities and a more fulfilling life. My focus was on my parents, both from Michoacán, Mexico. Through interviews, I explored their childhood aspirations and the challenges they faced during their transition from Mexico to the United States. I integrated both photographs I took and old photographs preserved by my parents to enhance the narrative. Captions were provided to contextualize each image and provide clarity for the viewer. In addition to interviewing my parents, I also engaged with two other immigrant friends who shared similar experiences. They, too, arrived in the United States at a young age accompanied by their parents and are now living their unforgotten dreams. The project concludes with a poem I composed to encapsulate the essence of my journey.

 

"I’m the daughter of refugees. The immigrant mentality is to work hard, be brave, and never give up in your pursuit of achieving the American dream."

- Reshma Saujani

 
 
 
 
 

A letter to my immigrant parents,

 

I don’t think I have ever thanked you.

You left everything you ever knew to a land of unknown.

With only prayers and hopes in your pockets.

You left.

You left to struggle.

To work.

To kill your own hopes and dreams.

To provide for a family that you didn’t know of.

Thank you.

You hated it here.

But you stayed.

You wanted it all to end.

But you kept pushing.

You just wanted us to be happy.

Thank you.

You worked in the hot scorching fields.

Picking fruit for less than ten dollars a day.

It was hard and dangerous work.

You called it hell.

But you stayed.

Thank you.

You gave us happiness when you were at your lowest.

You gave us hope when you had none.

You gave us a chance to reach for our dreams when you killed your own.

You gave us a gift we couldn’t be more thankful for.

Thank you.

-Love Bryan

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