For this assignment, we practiced cultural self-awareness by analyzing a meaningful object from our lives and reflecting on the values it represents:
The first thing I did for this assignment was overthink. What object could fully represent me, the me from
Mexico, the me from Los Angeles, and the me from all the places in between? My pink suitcase.
I’ve had this suitcase for eight years. It’s the one I brought when I first moved from Mexico to the United
States. It’s the one that has been with me on every flight back and forth between those two countries. It’s
the one I carried with me when I came to college, and the one I still use today. Now it’s old, scratched,
and starting to break down, but the thought of replacing it makes me emotional.
At a deeper level, the suitcase matters because it has been with me in moments when my family couldn’t
be. It has held pieces of home every time I had to leave one behind. It’s a symbol of my resilience,
transition, and belonging.
Even more deeply, the suitcase reflects a core value I carry from my culture: family and community travel
with you, even when they are not physically present. My suitcase represents adaptability, perseverance,
and the belief that home is not just one place but something you carry within yourself.
