In the summer of 2001, my parents took my two sisters and I on a trip to southern Italy with my dad’s church choir. The trip was a window into my family’s Italian heritage, a heritage that had largely been lost due to my family’s assimilation into whiteness and American society. At only eight years old, my worldview was transformed in a profound way, and it is through this trip that my love for travel, history, and interest in immigration was sparked. On one particularly special evening of the trip, my dad’s church choir sang in the city of Ascoli with an Italian choir. The night was magical, one that I will always remember. After the concert, the Italian choir welcomed us into their home and shared a large traditional meal with us, complete with 6-7 courses and, as the picture shows, twenty-two pounds of pasta (!!!). I chose this picture because food continues to be my strongest—and only—connection to my family’s immigration story, as both the language and story’s of my great-grandparents’ childhood in Sicily has been lost over time. I often wish I had more access to my family’s stories, music, dances, and language. But for now, I will settle for the remnants of Italian culture’s amazing food and the company I share it with. 

– Gabrielle Spear

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more