My object is a napkin. In Spanish it is called servilleta (se-r-v-i-ta). The napkin is from my country of Guatemala. It is usually used to decorate the table. It is made from a piece of bright woven cloth. It comes with a bigger piece called a table runner. The set includes the long table runner and at least six napkins. My grandma is the one that uses it. She uses it for special parties and weddings. The yellow stripes are made from a colored string that it is stitched from a machine. The napkin has a design which is a bird. The bird on it is a symbol from Guatemala. The bird is also on the country’s flag. In Guatemala one napkin costs a lot of money because it is handmade and requires a lot of attention to detail. The only store that carries these napkins is a store that sells Guatemalan products. My grandma gave it to my mom when she was about to come with my dad to the United States. My grandmother gave one to all my siblings and family members. The reason why she gave us this is so we can remember where we are from. Also, we can think about our country of Guatemala, even though we are in NY.

– Martha Tum Lux

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant