Stan Ng recalls that in his 1960s and 70s Los Angeles childhood, one of the main activities his family enjoyed was to simply get out on the open road and drive. His dad would go up and down the 101, or make his way towards Santa Monica and drive past the Hollywood landmarks ... Read More »
It was a spring afternoon in 1985. I had turned fifteen a few of months earlier and I had just entered the house after a day at high school. Food was on my mind; I’d skipped breakfast as usual. Mom was sitting on the bed in the corner, whispering to a woman I’d ... Read More »
“The main key to being successful as an immigrant is saving up as much money as you can and that will be the most useful thing in your life as an immigrant.” My parents made sure that that idea was stuck in my head since I was young. I grew up on a farm. My father Cirilo and my mother ... Read More »
In La Huerta, Jalisco, a baby girl was born to a mother. Her name was Lily (name changed), after her mother’s favorite flower. That girl is me. I lived on a beautiful ranch, Plazola. I am the oldest of my family so it had only been me and my 2 sisters Maria and Alejandra. Our ranch was small but it ... Read More »
Only a few short months off his ninety-first birthday, sitting cross-legged in a recliner that he had owned long before my birth, my grandfather told me, “My life isn’t all that exciting.” My grandfather is a private and simple man. He is the type that would much rather spend an evening watching a baseball game with a hearty homemade dinner ... Read More »
The trees whizzed by me; I knew that if I stayed much longer I’d be killed. In the days right after the first World War, you could never trust anyone. After what felt like hours of running, noises and light began to appear. The hammer of a blacksmith, the cry of a baby. This is what I’ve been looking for. ... Read More »
“Honk!” The foghorns call fades as it slips through the ears, and feet clamber unsteadily up the swaying dock towards the ship waiting beyond. The weak wood, barely held together through the metal spikes impaling them, cries out as it’s stressed. The salty breeze stings the eyes and rips through the sails, whipping the air. The breath hitches in the ... Read More »
Click & listen to the story as read by Ramon’s granddaughter, Jamie Garcia-Villareal, a resident of Palo Alto. I wouldn’t say I had it easy, but then again, no one here really did. I was born and raised in Aguililla, Michoacan, Mexico on July 20, 1929. You see, growing up then, no one really had any money. Michoacan was filled ... Read More »
I was a kid who never knew what the U.S. was, what future was waiting for me here, what courage I was able to obtain, and what blessed life I would end up living. So I walked, ran, and hid to reach my brighter future here in the U.S. I was born on October 11, 1954 on a ranch in ... Read More »
Welcoming Week is September 14 – 23. During this annual series of events, communities bring together immigrants, refugees, and native-born residents to raise awareness of the benefits of welcoming everyone. In 2017, there were more than 700 events around the country. Click here for a collection of specially featured Video Stories to watch. Read More »