2 10 14 https://stories.cvlcollections.org/files/original/dd338d9fdc2f7c8d4f9e43a3e456b781.jpg 5aa26f168b421c6c37b468df44e1a795 https://stories.cvlcollections.org/files/original/5e44fc4da1be145bd0dd5758383330a6.mp3 889e3d8fd15ecbbd216895a1222cbdd0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Immigrant & Refugee Stories Subject The topic of the resource Immigrants Refugees Description An account of the resource Autobiographical storytelling is about sharing the emotions and life experiences so others can understand, relate, and share in those experiences and histories as if they were also part of these stories. This collection within Stories of Colorado highlights stories from "Mementos From Home," a project of Services to Immigrants and Refugees and the Denver Public Library. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Speaking Spanish I am Viviana Casillas Reyna and I am originally from Zacatecas, Mexico. I came to this country 28 years ago. The objects I brought for the exhibit are two coins, a one-peso coin and a hundred-peso coin, that show the years 1990 or 1988 on top. These two coins are significant for me because they speak to when we were children and my father lived here in the United States and we lived in Mexico. The times when he would visit us, he brought us little things, different things, to show us that he was back and that we had been in his thoughts. And when we were young, some time ago, my mother asked my father for one peso for us. It was my older sister, my younger brother and myself, so she asked for one peso for each of us to go buy animal cookies from a man who had a store called Don Cesario. We went to that store and asked for animal cookies, one peso worth. And he gave them to us in a paper cone that he made, and the three of us left with our animal cookies, very content. On one occasion that my father came to Mexico we were going to ask him for one peso so we could buy animal cookies. And I remember that I said to my brother and sister, “we’re going to ask him for 50 pesos! Because if he’s coming from the United states, if he’s coming from the North, he must have a lot of money!” But my older sister said, “no Vivi, no, only one peso, only one peso!” And so we went to my father and asked him, “Papa can you give us one peso to go to the store?” And my father said, “what are you going to buy?” And we told him we were going to buy animal cookies. So he said yes that he would give us money - and instead of 50 pesos that we were asking for, he gave us 100 pesos. And with these 100 pesos my brother my sister and I went to the store; kids of about 6, 7 and 8 years old, we went to the store and bought 300 pesos worth of animal cookies. We returned with giant paper cones filled with many animal cookies. And when my father saw us he asked us why we bought so many cookies, he said we could have bought a different kind of cookie. But we said, “no, because the animal cookies will last us.” This was one of the few times I saw my father cry. When he saw that we tried to do as much as possible with what we had, and that he had given us 100 pesos - and 100 pesos was a lot - we could have chosen the sweetest cookie, the most beautiful cookie, but we chose animal cookies because we wanted them to last as long as possible for the time that we had with him - usually he stayed two weeks in Mexico with us. After that was when my mother asked my father if he would live with us in Mexico or if we would go to the United States to live with him. And for this reason my mother has her contribution in this exhibit as well - her bills and her shoes. This country has given us more than we would have been able to have in Mexico. But at the same time, while we’ve been able to have so much here, we’ve had to pay a high price. We’ve lost members of our family who are now no longer with us. It has given us successes, it has given us joys, it has given us triumphs. But the memory of coming to the United States where three of us were going to die and only one of us was going to be able to stay. Now he has been deported, my older sister passed away, and now the only ones here are my mother and myself. My father is far away, and my sister is far away. But being here has given us a strong life experience, and we have valued every day and our existence, thanks to God. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Animal Crackers (Viviana) Description An account of the resource As a child, I would ask my mom for a peso to buy some animal crackers. It didn't happen often. One time, my dad had just arrived from "El Norte," and we asked him for 50 pesos. He gave us 100 pesos, and we spent it all on animal crackers. Three kids with 300 pesos-worth of animal crackers lasted a long time. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org/mementos-home">Mementos From Home</a><br />A project of <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org/services-immigrants" target="_blank" title="Ctrl+Click to follow link" rel="noreferrer noopener">Services to Immigrants and Refugees</a> and the <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org" target="_blank" title="Ctrl+Click to follow link" rel="noreferrer noopener">Denver Public Library</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/ Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Immigrant & Refugee Stories Language A language of the resource Spanish DPL Immigrant Mementos Resource kits https://stories.cvlcollections.org/files/original/fa8e412f62174385459e4e989e4dd3ca.jpg 0885920143887ff0d6bba7334c565920 https://stories.cvlcollections.org/files/original/2ae12add684bcaace4b4e9b983c5d342.mp3 07844ec3363ae4e1ea181cdbe8a2bfe2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Immigrant & Refugee Stories Subject The topic of the resource Immigrants Refugees Description An account of the resource Autobiographical storytelling is about sharing the emotions and life experiences so others can understand, relate, and share in those experiences and histories as if they were also part of these stories. This collection within Stories of Colorado highlights stories from "Mementos From Home," a project of Services to Immigrants and Refugees and the Denver Public Library. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Speaking Spanish Today I brought a Spanish card game that is different than your typical card deck, like ace of diamonds, this one has walking canes, swords, goblets, and coins. This is something that I brought with me when I came here 15 years ago from Argentina. It was a playing card game that I used to play with my friends. We would get together on the weekends, in the evenings, to play this card game, and it was a very social game. I would like to find people who play the game that we used to play - it’s called Truco - but yes it’s a beautiful memory of being with my friends and everything, and of Argentina more than anything because it was a big part of my life in Argentina, and for this reason I brought this card game with me. I know the rules are a bit complicated for someone who doesn’t speak Spanish, but it is truly a very fun game and I would like to be able to find people who play! So if you play Truco, let me know! Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Truco (Nicanor) Description An account of the resource These cards are important because they remind me of my family and my friends back home in Argentina. The cards remind me of those evenings and weekends when we would get together and play Truco, a very social game where you trick your opponent by playing quickly and distracting them with conversation. Playing the game was a way of connecting with friends and family. They remind me of fun times, and I enjoy teaching other people how to play even though it can be a difficult game to learn. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org/mementos-home">Mementos From Home</a><br />A project of <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org/services-immigrants" target="_blank" title="Ctrl+Click to follow link" rel="noreferrer noopener">Services to Immigrants and Refugees</a> and the <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org" target="_blank" title="Ctrl+Click to follow link" rel="noreferrer noopener">Denver Public Library</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/ Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Immigrant & Refugee Stories Language A language of the resource Spanish DPL Immigrant Mementos Resource kits https://stories.cvlcollections.org/files/original/cba1574b0d1568d993cb04363e5b814f.jpg bf0b92762b319e0ffbabd8446055a168 https://stories.cvlcollections.org/files/original/e48998ab0ac42035afdbf0bb8d0383c4.mp3 f4308d6cc119a3e32e48dd85d8a391d4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Immigrant & Refugee Stories Subject The topic of the resource Immigrants Refugees Description An account of the resource Autobiographical storytelling is about sharing the emotions and life experiences so others can understand, relate, and share in those experiences and histories as if they were also part of these stories. This collection within Stories of Colorado highlights stories from "Mementos From Home," a project of Services to Immigrants and Refugees and the Denver Public Library. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Speaking Spanish I am Maria Elena Reyna Diaz. I am from Aguas Calientes. I came from Mexico in 1990. When I came I brought my four children; the oldest, Maria de la Contención Casillas Reyna, and Viviana Casillas Reyna, Marco Antonio Casillas Reyna and Nancy Casillas Reyna. In regards to the money, he sent me money to Mexico and I had to cash it because I had to pay for the work arrangements for the land. I brought money from Mexico, as I came, I brought large bills in my shoes. And I sold two horses because they made me angry. It seemed simple. I thought, “if the man comes tomorrow to buy them…” And luckily he did, and so I sold them, and brought the money with me for travel expenses. I told my children’s father that he would either come to live with us in Mexico, to suffer, or that he would bring us all there [to the U.S.] because I couldn’t keep my kid at home, he wouldn’t stay home, he would get home whenever he wanted, I couldn’t go out and look for him because a woman on the streets alone looks bad. I brought the money in my shoes, and I was hurting because I got blisters, but the money got here safe, I had it in a bag. [My husband] told me to sell the horses. And I told him that I already had sold them. He asked my why I hadn’t told him, and I said because they made me angry. I told him, “You are coming back here or you’re bringing us there with you. We will all suffer together there, or all here.” And I told him, “I don’t want to be here on my own, I’m struggling, it’s challenging.” I was sick frequently with bronchitis. I couldn’t be alone handling all of this. I had to come here. And here I was sick a lot as well, until I got used to the climate here. We got caught twice by immigration, we took about 15 days to cross the border, we went from house to house. I faced danger with my kids. In a house there was a guy that wanted to stab every child there, so I would stand in the way of him doing it. Then the Coyote got there, I was already on my way out the door, we were in Juarez all five of us not knowing but we traveled all over Juarez, and then he found us a cab and he brought us to Juarez looking for my friend’s address, after that he left us with her, but after that I didn’t know where the car was going or anything but I had faith with me and a little saint [inaudible] that a guy donated. I didn’t let anyone check me because I had money in my shoes. They would ask me if I had money and I would say no, so they didn’t search me. They has us locked up, I got into an argument with an immigration guy, I told him “ just because I am Mexican and my kids are Mexican, I am not going to let you humiliate me and do whatever you want”. I would defend our suffering, my kids, me alone, the expenses we had, I would get sick, I would struggle and that's why he brought us here. I got here and gave everything to their dad and he saved it, but yeah the journey was a lot of suffering. The first time Viviana fell into the river her hair got stuck, she had long (hair) below the curve, I got her however I could, I had never been under water with my eyes open, I pulled her out by her hair and I brought her up. The oldest almost drowned, so I did the same thing to get her out, The Coyote told me to leave her there that she was already dead. I told him “she’s not dead, do whatever you want but I’m going to get her out.” In that same moment Nancy went into quicksand and she had her hair a little above shoulder height, and however I could I also grabbed her by her hair. It hurt her and it hurt me, but I got her out of the quicksand. My son also suffered, but God wanted him to be safe, because we would cross the street between the cars and he would yell at us, whistle, to hurry. But the cars were going at high speed and I couldn’t get to him and it kept raining, but here we are. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource En Mis Zapatos (Maria) Description An account of the resource In 1990, when we lived in Mexico, my husband was in the States. I gave him an ultimatum to bring us to him. I sold the two horses we had. I saved the money and brought it with me in my shoes. Throughout the trip/journey back and forth to the border, I kept my money in my shoes for fear that our savings would be taken away. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org/mementos-home">Mementos From Home</a><br />A project of <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org/services-immigrants" target="_blank" title="Ctrl+Click to follow link" rel="noreferrer noopener">Services to Immigrants and Refugees</a> and the <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org" target="_blank" title="Ctrl+Click to follow link" rel="noreferrer noopener">Denver Public Library</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/ Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Immigrant & Refugee Stories Language A language of the resource Spanish DPL Immigrant Mementos Resource kits https://stories.cvlcollections.org/files/original/329be1d41cebbd4561722cb808f6797f.jpg 14870753279008ab865a67fa865e0d24 https://stories.cvlcollections.org/files/original/a712030ac4b43d2b7f6b993ac97b4989.mp3 0fd5f427a45c1b60be68c786d75de3d2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Immigrant & Refugee Stories Subject The topic of the resource Immigrants Refugees Description An account of the resource Autobiographical storytelling is about sharing the emotions and life experiences so others can understand, relate, and share in those experiences and histories as if they were also part of these stories. This collection within Stories of Colorado highlights stories from "Mementos From Home," a project of Services to Immigrants and Refugees and the Denver Public Library. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound Speaking English My name is Naghem Swade. I’m the program coordinator for Services to Immigrants and Refugees at the Denver Public Library. I brought a couple items with me to be photographed today, and they all have significant meaning. So the items that I had, and you can see in the photograph, the green elaegg isn’t as visible, it’s just kind of resting on my hand. And it’s a rectangle piece of cloth and it has gold engraving on it. And elaegg in Arabic means it’s just a special piece of cloth and it’s visited a holy shrine in Iraq. And it has the names of the Imams, the Imams, the Ahl al-Bayt, they are the family of the Prophet. Saints if you will. Sometimes I’ll take it out, I’ll put special perfume on it so the smell will still stay the same. Whenever I’m sick, physically sick, whenever I’m stressed out, whenever I just miss home, it reconnects me back to the land that gave birth to me. And then I have a really small stone and they call it heriz in Arabic. And the actual stone it’s marble with light brown and tan-ish colors. I can’t see it, but with a magnifying glass you can actually see the engraving of a prayer and it’s meant to protect whoever is holding it. And then my husband has a ruby ring. And if you look closely enough there is a prayer engraved inside of it and it looks like there’s a face. And he’s been wearing it for the last seventeen years. It was really interesting because I was talking to my husband about this project and I was asking him if he had anything. And as he was telling me about his ring, I was like, you got your ring from the same exact place that I got my objects from. So I came to the United States in 1996 when I was seven. And I had visited Iraq in 2014 and I had gone at a time that was very difficult for me; I was going through a lot of life changes. And one of the reasons I had gone there was to visit the holy shrine and it was in Karbala. It was super packed because it was a holiday season and I had just wanted to visit the shrine. And I was, you know, just very in love with the Imam of the shrine, the protector of the shrine. And I kept praying and saying, you know, “if everything is okay with me, if you accept me as who I am,” I was talking to the protector of the shrine, “I just want to be able to touch the window.” And somehow, like the crowds just parted and I was able to reach the window, and as I was walking, I had my hands up in prayer and this green cloth fell into my arms. And the ladies behind me, they’re like, “oh my god you got your wish granted, you got your wish granted!” And the pessimist in me was like, “no, no someone just probably threw it and it landed in my, in my hands.” That same night I had a dream about the Imam of the shrine. He came to me in my dream and he was like, “Don’t ever doubt me again. You asked for something, and I gave it to you. And that is a symbol that your wish has been granted. Wherever you go, keep this elaegg, keep this cloth with you for your protection and for your sanity.” And then I also from that shrine, I was able to get a stone and it had a prayer engraved in it. And then a year later I met my husband. And we got talking and our two worlds collided because he had gotten that ring seventeen years ago from the same exact shrine that I had gotten my elaegg from and my stone from. And I keep it with me wherever I go now because whenever I am panicked, or I’m having an anxiety attack or I’m just so stressed out from work or family or whatever it is, I remember that moment when that flag, when that elaegg, fell into my hand, and just this wave of calmness just falls onto me. And I remember my dream and I remember what he said, and so I keep it with me wherever I go. Coming to the United States as a refugee, and coming to the United States as a child was really hard because I had to leave my entire world behind and learn a completely new language. And it’s very expensive to go back home now, to go back to Iraq. And I miss Iraq. I have two homes. I’m a hybrid of two cultures. And sometimes I just want to go back to my roots, to the land that gave birth to me. I miss the smell. I miss the soil. And unless I’m willing to pay like $5,000 every year to travel back and forth, I can’t do that. So whenever I’m feeling homesick I take out this elaegg, I’ll borrow my husband’s ring, and I’ll take this stone that has the prayer engraved on it, and I’ll just, you know, I’ll rub the cloth on my face and I’ll just inhale because still to this day, four years later, it still has a very special smell to it. And it reminds me of home, you know? It reminds me of the place that gave birth to me. It wasn’t safe. I had to, you know, my mother and I had to flee Iraq because of persecution. It wasn’t safe. But at the end of the day it’s still the land that gave birth to me. I have two homes. I have the country that opened its arms to me and protected me, and then I have the country that gave birth to me. Speaking Arabic The elaegg of Abu Fadl (the Imam) protects me. Sometimes when I feel tired or missing Iraq, I just smell the elaegg and I go back. I am able to travel back in time to Iraq some 20, 22 years ago. I remember my grandmother, my grandfather, my aunts. It’s true that I am live in America. America is my country as well but Iraq continues to be my roots. The soil of Iraq, the ground of Iraq stays in my memory. Whenever I miss Iraq, particularly whenever I miss the religious pilgrimage to the Holy Shrines in Iraq, the pilgrimage to Abu adul-Alaah al Hussein, I take out my heriz , my husband’s ring and my elaegg, and I find comfort. My soul is at peace. Every single sorrow and trouble that I was carrying on shoulders just disappears. Just seeing these mementos and smelling them, I am at peace. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource When Worlds Collide (Naghem) Description An account of the resource The ruby ring is my husband's, and he has worn it for the last 17 years. The smaller stone is mine, and it has a prayer engraved on it. The green 'elaegg' is my protection and sanity. When I went to Iraq in 2014, I was going through some of the hardest years of my life. I visited the Holy Shrines in Iraq and prayed. I cried and prayed. I got the 'elaegg' from one of the shrines, and that same night I had a dream about the Imam of that shrine. In my dream, he told me that he sent me the 'elaegg' as an answer to my prayers and as protection for me. Within a year, I met my husband, and our two worlds collided. It turns out that he got the ruby ring from the same shrine where I got my stone and the 'elaegg.' Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org/mementos-home">Mementos From Home</a><br />A project of <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org/services-immigrants" target="_blank" title="Ctrl+Click to follow link" rel="noreferrer noopener">Services to Immigrants and Refugees</a> and the <a href="https://www.denverlibrary.org" target="_blank" title="Ctrl+Click to follow link" rel="noreferrer noopener">Denver Public Library</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/ Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Immigrant & Refugee Stories Language A language of the resource English and Iraqi Arabic DPL Immigrant Mementos Resource kits