Recently those plans became a reality. At the library, students from youTHink came with family members and friends to talk about their experiences living in Los Angeles. Iabeth Briones came with his brother, Eliseo Monclova, and talked about the time he spent living on the streets with his mother.

“I remember we lived in a car for a while and we were parked across [from] my favorite taco spot [called] ‘Chavelitas’, and we were there for one or two weeks. I was the smallest one and I slept in the back seat with all of that space and I think it was a way that [mom] was still trying to give me the best that she could by trying to keep me comfortable. I’ve always been with my mom, but I never really grew up with a father and I always looked at my mom as a pillar of strength. She kept us going and we kept each other going.”

Iabeth is currently a junior in high school and he’s also a poet. He has recently begun attending workshops with Street Poets Inc., an organization dedicated to the creative process as a force for individual and community transformation.

I want to give a special thanks to Shifra Teitelbaum for bringing this wonderful day of recording together, and to the Southern California Library for allowing us to record and for answering all of my questions about this very unique independent library!

The conversation took a turn when Loana asked her mother about her love of music.

Pilar said, “Empezó cuando escuché a Elvis Presley por primera vez en Acapulco, MX.” [It all started when I first listened to Elvis Presley in Acapulco, MX.] “Mi mamá me decía, ‘¡Pilar, ni entiendes lo que está cantando por que no entiendes inglés!’ Y yo le decía que no me importaba. ¡Me gusta la música!” [My mom would tell me, 'Pilar, you don't even understand what he's singing because you don't understand English!' But I would tell her, 'I don't care. I love the music!']

Pilar had eight children, one of whom is Loana, now a successful music publicist in Los Angeles. Of her mother’s musical influence, Loana said, “There was never a day in our house when music wasn’t playing. If there wasn’t any music, then the house would feel cold.”

After the interview, Loana sent StoryCorps staff in East Los Angeles an email that read,

“The CD has already made its rounds. So inspired are my mom & I that my two younger sisters are now committed to ALL of us meeting ONCE A MONTH to tell & listen to each other’s stories…”

That sounds like Rock ‘N’ Roll to us!

StoryCorps Historias will be recording in East Los Angeles from Feb 11, 2010 to March 20, 2010. Reserve here or call 1800-850-4406.

Guest speakers included KPCC reporter Patricia Nazario; Southern California Public Radio President and CEO Bill Davis; Center for the Study of Los Angeles Director Fernando J. Guerra, of Loyola Marymount University; UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Director Chon Noriega; East L.A. Public Library Chicano Resource Center Librarian Daniel Hernandez; our inaugural StoryCorps Historias participant in East L.A., Luz Herrera; and your blog post writer and StoryCorps facilitator Alejandro De La Cruz.

The second interview of the day featured father and daughter participants Carlos and Cindy Mosqueda, who talked about Carlos’ emigration at age five from Salamanca, in Guanajuato, Mexico, to the United States. He recalled his time living on a dairy farm near Brownsville, Texas, and particularly the farm work he did for his father. Now, he says, “I look for dairy farms to visit in Southern California, so I head down to Chino to see them.”

Since opening day, we’ve seen Latinos come from all parts of Los Angeles and from all regions of Latin America. As a native Angeleno, I can’t fully express how excited I am to be listening to conversations in a community that is truly part of my identity. Our team will record over 100 conversations over the course of six weeks and we’ve already seen fantastic support! Keep tuning in for more from East L.A.!

StoryCorps Historias will be recording in East Los Angeles from Feb 11, 2010 to March 20, 2010. Reserve here or call 1-800-850-4406.

Five days before her scheduled appointment, Kara Durland (middle) emailed her parents to invite them to join her at the StoryCorps MobileBooth in Colorado Springs. Gene & Jeannine Ross jumped in their car and drove to meet her—1700 miles from their home in Chantilly, Virginia.

“Well, when I found out about it, my first inclination was ‘Yeah, I want to go. And I want to drive…because we like to drive a lot,’” Eugene says. In the MobileBooth, the couple described to their daughter their different childhood experiences; their Italian, Irish, Slovak & Czech ancestry; and their love for the road.

Although he was scheduled to fly back home to New York City from Colorado Springs only two hours after his early morning StoryCorps appointment, the time crunch didn’t stifle Ed Riegelhaupt’s enthusiasm for participating. Ed happened to be in Colorado Springs visiting his daughter, Stacey Bloomfield, when she asked him to participate. Stacey wanted to record a specific period in her father’s life. In 1960, Ed quit his job because his wife Joyce Firstenberg Riegelhaupt, a cultural anthropologist, wanted to study villages in Portugal.

“I was working for Union Carbide Corporation…and I knew she had to go into the field as part of her PhD. I knew about this from the very beginning, but wasn’t worried about leaving my job because I knew I could get another job as a financial analyst. I felt really very comfortable and enthusiastic about going overseas with her. It was a chance for a great adventure…”

I first caught a glimpse of Cem Salahifar (above, left) outside of the MobileBooth talking into his cell phone while pointing it left, right, up, down and every direction. He told me later that he was making a video for his fiancee Yesmin in Istanbul. Cem makes his home…everywhere. He’s currently getting his MBA in Colorado Springs, but flies to work in Italy, and from there travels to Istanbul to visit Yesmin. In the MobileBooth, he told me the story of how he rekindled his relationship with Yesmin, a lifelong friend with whom he had lost touch. He talked about their reunion in Turkey only a few months ago, his proposal at Rome’s International Airport, and their plans to marry in Istanbul. At the end of his recording, Cem told Yesmin how much he loved her, both in English and Turkish. He’ll be giving her a copy of the interview soon…when they meet in Istanbul next month.

In the Montrose Public Library, near the Libros En Espanol [Books in Spanish] section, we took over a study room and set up shop for a week-long recording session of 41 conversations in Montrose, Colorado.

The city of Montrose rests north of the towering San Juan Mountains at an altitude of 5,806 feet. It’s home to a diverse group of residents including long-timers whose families have been in the area for multiple generations, transplants from bigger cities looking for a slower pace, and nature-seekers wanting to co-exist with the beautiful Colorado landscape. And boy, is it beautiful!

Although we were only there for a week, Montrose Public Library gave us the full red-carpet greeting. A wonderful ice cream social – covered by Montrose Daily Press – was arranged by the library on Opening Day, and Library Director Paul Paladino formally welcomed us with open arms; KVNF news director Daniel Costello talked about the radio station’s excitement; and West MobileBooth Site Supervisor Whitney Henry-Lester thanked the crowd for their participation. Needless to say, we were very excited to begin!

Several community organizations helped us recruit participants from all around Montrose. They included The Asanga Institute, Western Colorado Friends of Tibet,  the Hispanic Affairs Pastoral Project, and  Friends of the Ute Indian Museum, among others.

The shining star for us during our stay was Montrose’s own Meg Nagel, the Volunteer Coordinator and Adult Programs Director of the library (pictured in the first photo in the slideshow below). She was there to welcome us every morning, bid us farewell every night and provide us with tips on the region’s best sights, sounds and tastes. Meg also capped off the week by organizing a fantastic farewell party with food, beverages and desserts, and live country tunes from Montrose’s own Paul Nystrom! Thanks for everything, Montrose!

Yet it was Emeterio’s transition from academic obscurity to established scholar that intrigued his grandsons the most. Emeterio lived in Buffalo, New York and was a member of “the only Puerto Rican family in [his] neighborhood.” His parents emigrated to the Northeast from Puerto Rico during the 1950′s when Emeterio was seven. His father had been a farmer in Cieles, Puerto Rico and Emeterio mentions that his “pops had a can-do attitude.” Emeterio’s dad came to the U.S. first, and his mother came over a year later with him and two of his siblings.

There were scuffles, taunts, and derogatory names throughout his school years. Upon entering high school, Emeterio predicted he’d “drop out in the tenth grade.” The level of uncertainty in his life was overwhelming. In the Summer of 1964, Emeterio joined the military at the age of 17. “The airborne stuff sounded really neat…and it was one of the better decisions I ever made because it taught me structure and discipline. If I had stayed on in the same lifestyle, there’s a good chance I could have been dead. Drugs were coming on strong at that point…but I grew up and got a good sense of myself.”

What he didn’t predict was his desire to help educate others. It was during the Detroit Riots of 1967 that Emeterio came across injustices he’d never before seen. “There was martial law…and then it was a war. I romanticized war…but when I saw people being shot and people being hurt, it took the flowery nature of war away. It really bothered me. But [the riots] solidified my ideas on social justice. At that point, I tuned to the issue of race in America. I think education creates power. It creates a sense of equity. It also creates a sense of social justice and, for me, that’s important.”

He eventually attained a doctoral degree in education and influenced two more generations of Oteros, including his son Christopher, who is currently an English professor at Monroe Community College.

“Community college is the bridge.”, Emeterio says. He only needs to tell his story to prove it.

Related: Eleven Ways To Succeed

A grandmother can be a vibrant source of care and inspiration. She might warm our milk, teach us that hard work is important, or remind us that our place in the world is just as important as anyone else’s.

When Orlando Ortiz (right) — a native New Yorker from the Bronx — recalled visiting Puerto Rico during a trip after he graduated middle school, one very distinct person shimmered beyond everything else: his Abuelita (Grandmother) “Salu.” When Orlando visited the Mobile Booth, he described his grandmother to his partner, Paul Tantillo.

“[Salu] was more casual. She smoked cigars. When she needed a handkerchief, she’d get the hem of her skirt, bend over and blow on it.” He laughed. “[She] was very contemporary. She always cut her hair.”

And to Orlando, his Abuelita “Salu” provided a concept that he’s carried on throughout his life.

“For this to be a world, there has to be everything in it. It’s like, the universe has everything in it.”
“Why did she say this?”
“Well, I think she knew I was gay. It was her way of saying ‘that’s alright.’ You accept everything just the way it is because it’s all part of the world.”