The state of being an immigrant is a legacy of the United States; it is passed down through the generations and finally reached the Turkish people in current day. People gathered in the hall of Pacifica Institute on a weekend to see what people have brought in their luggage through their escape to the United States.

The state of being an immigrant is a legacy of the United States; it is passed down through the generations and finally reached the Turkish people in current day. People gathered in the hall of Pacifica Institute on a weekend. A “Thank You Brunch” was offered in honor of the conversation partnership program that helps immigrants learn English through volunteer one-on-one tutoring.

In addition to journalists, academicians, and high-ranking officials, nearly 18000 women, and 668 children are in jail in Turkey, and the tragedy touched almost everybody’s life. “Pray for my brother. He has a court date soon” was the sort of sentences being exchanged recently within the Turkish community. As the chaos grows, hearts are more pained and eyes are tearful. What brought tears to the eyes this time was a photo exhibit: “What I brought in my luggage!” The backgrounds were black, reflecting the situation. Pictures, on the other hand, were as colorful and bright as our hopes and dreams. Each photo revealed a souvenir item brought by Turkish immigrants. In one of the pictures, there was a scarf, which once belonged to an immigrant’s mother. The owner described it as her comfort object; it is something she resorts to whenever she is overwhelmed by loneliness or feels homesick. Some of the other objects were a prayer rug, prayer beads and a tiny teaspoon that represented happy memories back in their first homes.

A participant stated that she was moved by what she saw and that she hoped they would start collecting good memories from their new homes here soon.