Liane: Food as Love
I was a chef for a while here in Tucson. It was my first job when I got here when I was 18. We always get the question of what’s your earliest memory of food. When I was three, my mom used to have a friend that cooked at a … Read more
Liang: Showing Culture
I think this is a very open community to me. I started learning traditional Chinese dance at 5 years old. I’ve been practicing for more than 10 years and I just moved here and I want to continue it. I want to show my culture to other people. Life is … Read more
Aaron: Banker’s Advice
“I started out as a handful as a child, dropped out of high school, got my GED when I was 21, you know? Kind of just livin’ life day to day, no real thought for the future. I was going through financial difficulties and went down to my bank … Read more
Jobe: Team Player
Being part of a team has always been in my heritage from growing up in little league baseball and soccer to high school basketball on to now. Working as a family, that’s teamwork. Raising children is teamwork. My job as a police officer is teamwork. It’s that thing: the chain … Read more
Dulce y Las Trillizas: All-girl Norteño
We were in a music school and they were in a group together because they’re sisters, of course. I got more advanced and so the teacher put me in the group and that’s how we got together and started. We like Norteño music. It’s our traditional music. When we play, … Read more
Jesus: Balanced Energy
I’m a Tucson native of 32 years, been break dancing for over 18 years. Graffiti artist as well, muralist. Jack of all Trades, entrepreneur. Now known as Jesus the Masseuse, LMT at your service. Performing for the public and doing acrobatics, it’s an energetic thing for me. It keeps me … Read more
Saba: Henna Beautification
In India and in other Middle Eastern cultures they use henna as beautification for the bride. There’s a whole day designated to henna one or two days before. Girls put henna on each other and the bride and they are singing and dancing. It started with wedding ceremonies, but now … Read more
Sarah: Getting Together
I’ve lived in Tucson forever. Most of my family have lived here for a really long time, but the family I’m closest to lives in San Francisco. I visit them every year for Christmas. Me, my grandma, and my aunt live in different places, but last year we all met … Read more
Loretta: Make a Change
I grew up in New York City, on the Lower East Side of the village. Sunday was Washington Square. I went to school with Mary Travis of Peter, Paul, and Mary. Josh White and Belafonte used to come—we’d all sit and sing folk songs. I lived a sheltered life—all girls … Read more
Björgvin: Iceland Silence
I am an immigrant in America from Iceland. There’s this tiny little cabin that my family owns right below one of the active volcanoes in Iceland. There’s no GPS to tell you how to get there, so you have to know which side roads and gravel pathways through the lava … Read more
Marva: Urban Storyteller
I’m with Marvalous Productions, LLC, and that’s what I’m most excited about right now. I think in life we find ourselves in what we have to do, sometimes, more times than not. Then there’s the thing we ought to do. And then there’s the thing we have to do. And … Read more
Priscilla: Musical Bonds
My family is a part of me. I’ve been with my husband, Rene, for 16 years, and we run a family business together. We are literally together 24/7 because when we’re not working, we’re at home with our two kids. My son and I are both into music. When we’re … Read more