My grandmother moved to the United States from El Salvador to have a better future. She bettered her life by working hard. Sonia, my grandmother, became a seamstress and worked for someone at their factory. After a while, Sonia met a designer named Naomi who encouraged my grandmother to open her own sewing studio. With Naomi’s encouragement Sonia opened her own studio and Naomi provided her with projects that she wanted Sonia to make for her. Sonia continue to do these projects for Naomi for a long time, and little by little other designers found out about Sonia’s sewing studio. Sonia’s studio grew and she had to hire staff to keep up with demand. For many years, the hustle continued. When Sonia was in her fifties, her scale of work slowed down so much that she no longer needed employees. Sonia began having symptoms of dementia that later turned into Alzheimer’s. Sonia passed away in 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
My grandmother… she is why I sew. I sew to keep her memory alive. I sew for her because I miss her so much. I sew for my grandmother to make her proud. I sew for my grandmother because of her, I had the chance to grew up in the United States. I sew for my grandmother because I love her and I miss her so much every day.
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