Family & Identity

By: Emily. "To Me!" is written in cursive, vertically. The piece reads: It's not what I write, it's what I express while writing. It's the remembering of each event and each time I felt hopeless. I write because now I have found my way. I write because I am a brave woman who is looking to be at peace with herself and love herself. I'm a woman who writes poetry and remembers that one Summer day in Wisconsin where I finally learned who I am and what I want. I became my brave space and found that staying true to yourself will be the best way to maintain that love and that confidence that has always been in you. Have you ever realized how truly strong you are? Look at you. Sit down and take it in. No matter how many times you've gotten hit. No matter how many times you've lost a piece of yourself. You're still standing. You create a new version of yourself. Yes, life is erosion. But you... You are the Grand canyon. And you are beautiful. In my brave space I am someone who tries to fight her past and become a better version of herself. Is this what makes us human? Is this what makes ME human? I might never find the answer, but I know I'm living it and each step and decision will take me closer...
On the right, there are two images. One is a photograph of a waterfall. The other photograph is a photo of family members smiling.

Untitled - Lewi

This song means a lot to me, every time I hear it, it brings back a happy memory. This song was my dad's ringtone for his phone, so I would hear it everyday when I was younger. He learned how to turn his ringtone off since then so I haven’t heard it in a while. But whenever I do hear this song I just think of a young me, when the only thing I wanted to do was play outside all day with my sister and neighbors, when my problems felt so obscure. This song really makes me think of how lucky I was to have such loving parents and I will always be grateful for that.

Untitled - Anonymous

The time I felt the most happy was seeing my family back from vacation in a different country which is Somalia. I felt emotional and happy because I haven't seen some of my family members in 11 months since they left the country to Somalia for vacation and to also see some family members that lived in a city called “jigjiga” which is located in Ethiopia. It felt like I haven't seen them in forever because it's been a long time since we all have been together as one big family. My family means everything to me, i feel at peace when i'm with my family, even though sometimes we have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day i choose them over anything else, to see them coming back is like the other half of my heart being put together, the moment i seen them i ran for a hug and starting tearing up and it felt really good. Me and my family sometimes have movie nights, we have dinner together, sometimes breakfast, the park, and go on adventures. That's what makes us really close as one big family because I think that's what family is for.

On top of a flowered background are cut out texts that read:
Seeing you draped in white / My hear breaks, hope out of sight.
Mom you left too soon / I hadn't loved you enough / Our relationship was never ideal / Our journey very tough. / My love for you hasn't died / So I will not entomb its heart. / I'll let it manifest in things / Let this be a new start.

As you leave today / Let me cry, let me say

My mom was a hero / Leading me to right / Forgiving and loving / A star so bright / So I lose today / My support, my light, / My dear mom. / Making my life bright.

Losing my mom, I lost myself today in darkness / so deep. I try to find light, just a ray, just enough to hold on, hold on life, the final goodbye said / they bury her before my eyes.

Aerial view of an island showing the beach shoreline, trees, and homes with the text that reads "At the beginning of high school, I sugar coated my immigrant story."

A rally of people with someone holding the flag of Honduras with the text that reads, "All the students wrote a book about personal experiences coming from foreign countries. It was an outstanding project I participated in when I was a freshman at South High School and it took around 4 months to get it done."

Police gathered together and walking in masks with text that reads, "because there were so many experiences and struggles that we had to face. This was my first big project in English when I came from Honduras, and it helped me to start finding my voice. My voice was not powerful enough to describe my experience, so I made the story nice and pretty."

People gathered around a bus and some with bike helmets and motorcycles nearby with a flame in the foreground with text that reads, "Nevertheless I eventually had the courage to talk about all the things I had to go through when attempting my 'American dream.' When you are an undocumented person you are left behind in the shadows, but I now feel confident enough to tell the whole story because my voice became my light that helped me find my camino."

A collage of photos that show places and people important to M in Ethiopia.

Text that reads, "Last day----- Journal from 9th grade 2019.

It was our final day in Ethiopia, I had already cried about 4 or 3 times before we even got to the airport. We went back to our old neighborhood, where I had grown up that day to say our final goodbyes to our longtime neighbors and bestfriends. I remember when I was younger I used to wake up with the sun, eat breakfast, and go to their house. I spent the whole day playing with my best friend and only went back home when the sun set. When I caught my last glimpse of my old neighborhood, the place I called home for so long was one of the many times I cried that day. When we were at the airport and it was time to say goodbye I knew I couldn't hold back from showing my tears. It was raining that day and we were running late so we had to say our goodbyes fast but I couldn't. I remember holding my counsins and not wanting to let go, not wanting to leave them, not wanting to accept that I wouldn't be there to see them grow up. I remember crying so much that I couldn't tell the difference between my tears and the rain drops on my face. I remember I didn't stop crying until I got off the 14 hour flight. Throughout elementary school and middle school teachers would ask "what was the best day of your life?" for warm up questions and essays and I would always think to myself that I don't have one but I know that it's coming. I can finally answer that question after so many years now. The best day of my life was when I saw my home and my family again."