In the United States, we understand on a certain level that most of us are descended from immigrants, but we don’t know what that means. My own family came from Sweden and Finland to the US. The Finns came after many years of famine, lack of work and land, and conscription into the Russian army. It wasn’t a good time back home. When they left, it was for good and there were loved ones they never heard from again. When I hear the stories and the voices of current immigrants and refugees, I can’t help but think about my own family.