We parked next to the Joel D. Valdez Library in Tucson 6 weeks ago and found ourselves surrounded by a warm and welcoming community. From the usual 75 degree temps and surrounding mountains, to the citizens who welcomed us into their homes and family-owned restaurants with open arms (and frequent hugs), the atmosphere was immediately comfortable and we all settled in. During our time here we would hear from both native and visiting Tucsonians, realists and dreamers alike. We inherited Tucson as our surrogate home, practicing capoiera, tango dancing and exploring its terrain. In efforts to give back to Tucson a fraction of what we received, we ended our stay with a potluck that brought together the best of what Tucson had to offer: friends, food and fellowship.

Every year hundreds of thousands of people walk across the desert borderlands south of Tucson. During the past several weeks MobileWest has been recording stories of migrants heading north in search of work, as well as aid workers, human rights activists, and priests who put out water and food for those making the dangerous journey.

In the summer months when the desert reaches temperatures of up to 115 degrees,  people continue to make the arduous border crossing, often hiding by day and then walking by the light of the moon. If they are picked up by border patrol and deported, most repack their bags, patch their blistered feet, and start again. One theme we heard repeatedly and was eloquently expressed was, “If we returned home, what would we tell our families? What would we feed our families? We will continue crossing, even if we die trying.”

Pictured above are the hands of two StoryCorps participants, one of whom told the stories of his seven border crossings in and out of the United States.

People often ask us Facilitators if only grandparents with lives full of stories are allowed to record a StoryCorps conversation. Not at all! In Tucson, for example, we recorded interviews in cooperation with high schools and after school programs. Listening to these conversations was a reminder of how interesting it is to hear the thoughts of people of all ages.

Sabir was interviewed by his friend and teacher Josh. Sabir is a refugee from Kenya and he talked about his dreams of working for the United Nations as a conflict mediator in refugee camps and war zones. His own life experiences have given him the inspiration to work on behalf of people that have suffered through similar traumas.

Ace, Donna, Priscilla, and Zack discussed parenthood and the concept of being cool. Ace commented, “I am so scared my children are going to inherit my un-coolness, I’ll wake up one morning and they will have sinus problems and sweater vests.”

Two best friends, Amani and Balamani, came in to talk about their perfect date, “a romantic trip to the Olive Garden, then dancing. ”

So as a message to the young and the old, you are welcome at StoryCorps!

Bruce Cole and Caz Springer, colleagues at Wingspan, an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community center in Tucson, came to the StoryCorps MobileBooth to remember Richard J. Heakin, Jr., a 21-year-old gay man who was visiting Tucson from Nebraska when he was attacked and killed by four teenagers while leaving a local bar near the downtown area on June 6, 1976.

Since 1976 there have been many changes in the LGBT community in Tucson, and nearly thirty years after Richard’s death, the city of Tucson decided to remember him and the hate crime that led to his death with a bench and plaque outside the county courthouse.

The plaque reads, “This memorial is placed in gratitude to Richard and all those who have sacrificed in the struggle to make Tucson a place where all persons can enjoy the freedom to be themselves, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression. We hereby commemorate a tragedy that has transformed us and our history into a triumph of community spirit.”

In 2003, Tucson passed a gender neutral Domestic Partnership (DP) Ordinance, the first domestic partner registry law in the state of Arizona. Bruce talked about how the ordinance now enables him the legal right to visit his life partner in the hospital, a right he was previously not afforded. Bruce talked about how one of the greatest lessons he takes away from response to Richard’s death is that people stand up for what they believe in, and if they keep making their voices heard, eventually there will be change.

MobileWest has found its new home between four mountain ranges, among thousands of cacti, and just north of the border in downtown Tucson. We are parked in front of the historic courthouse and next to the main library. This little square is busy during the day and lit up by night. We have been welcomed here by many people that stop by the booth to ask questions, share their stories, or tell us their favorite place to get delicious local foods. We have had several interviews in one of the common languages of the Southwest, Spanglish. Sentence to sentence, word to word, English and Spanish jump back and forth. In this city of interwoven language and history, MobileWest is looking forward to hearing many more stories, in the many languages and voices of the Southwest.