Historias Archives - Page 3 of 13 - StoryCorps

Together At A Distance: How One Doctor’s Family Is Navigating The Risk Of COVID-19

As the Director of Microbiology at a hospital in Rochester, New York, Dr. Roberto Vargas has been working long hours in the lab running COVID-19 tests.

Because of the risk of exposure, he’s been isolating himself from his wife, Susan, and their four young kids over the past two months. At first, he stayed at a hotel near his job, but more recently, he’s moved into the basement of their home.

That’s where Roberto was when he recorded a remote StoryCorps interview with Susan, and their 10-year-old son, Xavier, to talk about what it’s like having to keep their distance from him, even at home. 

Top Photo: Roberto Vargas (left), Xavier Vargas, and Susan Vargas at home in Stafford, New York on May 16, 2020. Courtesy of the Vargas Family.

Originally aired May 29, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition. 

From One Essential Worker To Another

While many people continue staying home because of COVID-19, many others are risking their health—potentially, even their lives—to keep the country running.

From bus drivers to mail carriers to healthcare professionals, this episode of the StoryCorps podcast is dedicated to essential workers who are navigating the pandemic, and finding support from the only other people who truly understand what they’re going through—their colleagues.

Frank de Jesus and Tyrone Hampton are New York City bus drivers. Over the last few months, their jobs have become particularly stressful, as they continue shuttling passengers—many of whom are also essential workers—in one of the hardest hit areas in the country. At StoryCorps, they sat down to talk about it.

Another job that’s become increasingly dangerous these days—delivering the mail. At StoryCorps, Evette Jourdain and Craig Boddie, postal workers in Palm Beach, Florida, reflect on the anxiety of the moment, and what’s been helping them through.

Our final story comes from two childhood friends, Josh Belser and Sam Dow, who both grew up to pursue careers in medicine. Josh is a nurse in Syracuse, New York; Sam is a healthcare technician in Ann Arbor, Michigan. At StoryCorps, the two remember how they had each other’s backs as kids, and how they’ve continued to have each other’s backs throughout this turbulent time.

Top photo: Sam Dow at his job in Ann Arbor, Michigan and his friend Josh Belser at work in Syracuse, NY in 2020. Courtesy of Josh Belser
Second photo: New York City MTA bus operators Tyrone Hampton and Frank de Jesus in their respective homes. Photos courtesy of Hampton and de Jesus.
Third photo: Craig Boddie and Evette Jourdain in Palm Beach, FL. Courtesy of Craig Boddie and Evette Jourdain for StoryCorps.

Released on May 26, 2020.

Like the music in this episode? Support the artists:
“Moments of Departure” by Jarrett Floyd; a StoryCorps Commission
“Elegiac” by Bryan Copeland; a StoryCorps Commission
“Sage the Hunter” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Landsman Duets

A Little Bit Of Kindness

Since the beginning of 2020, the biggest global health crisis in a century has left many of us feeling anxious and isolated. So on this season of the StoryCorps podcast, we’re bringing you stories about comfort, wisdom, and hope — things we could all use a little more of during this uncertain time.

In this episode, how small acts of kindness can go a long way.

In 2007, Herman Travis started following a simple weekly routine. Every Tuesday, he’d show up at the local food bank, fill a shopping cart with groceries, and make home deliveries to his elderly and disabled neighbors in Holly Courts, a low-income housing complex in San Francisco, California. 

At StoryCorps, he sat down with his friend and neighbor, Robert Cochran, one of the people he delivered groceries to.  

Just a short drive from Holly Courts, longtime friends Maurice Rowland and Miguel Alvarez were working together at Valley Springs Manor, an assisted care center in Castro Valley, California.  Maurice was a cook and Miguel, a janitor.

In October 2013, the California Department of Social Services (DSS) closed the facility; residents were supposed to have been relocated, but a number of them were left behind. The staff stopped being paid, so the majority of them left. At StoryCorps, Maurice and Miguel talk about why they decided to stay.

Next, we turn to Ronald Ruiz, a retired bus operator, who came to StoryCorps’ very first recording booth back in 2004, when it was located in the heart of New York City, at Grand Central Terminal. When he sat down to reflect on his long career, Ronald began with a story about one of his most memorable passengers on his bus line in the Bronx.

Our last story comes from Ceceley Chambers, an interfaith chaplain, and her son, William. For more than a decade, Ceceley has provided spiritual counsel to seniors and hospice patients at nursing homes and hospitals across New England.

In 2015, she was regularly visiting seniors at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, a Boston-area an eldercare organization for people with memory loss. Her son William, who was nine years old at the time, started joining Ceceley on some of her visits. At StoryCorps, they reflect on what the residents taught them.

Four years later, Ceceley, who is still working as a hospice chaplain during COVID-19, sat down to record another interview with her son; this time to share the kinds of lessons they hope people will carry with them, long after the pandemic.

Top photo: Maurice Rowland and Miguel Alvarez at their StoryCorps interview in California on November 07, 2014. By Geraldine Ah-Sue for StoryCorps.
Second photo: Herman Travis and Robert Cochran at their StoryCorps interview in California on November 06, 2014. By Yosmay del Mazo for StoryCorps.
Third photo: Ron Ruiz at his StoryCorps interview in New York on July 28, 2004. By Brett Myers for StoryCorps.
Fourth photo: Ceceley and William Chambers near their Providence home after their StoryCorps interview on July 22, 2016. Courtesy of the Chambers family.
Fifth photo: Ceceley and William Chambers posing in the same Providence-location after recording their second StoryCorps interview, nearly four years later on April 22, 2020. Courtesy of the Chambers family.

Released on May 19, 2020

Like the music in this episode? Support the artists:
“Moments of Departure” by Jarrett Floyd; a StoryCorps Commission
“Grey Grey Joe” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album TinyTiny Trio
“Cast in Wicker” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Aeronaut
“Surly Bonds” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Aeronaut
“Untitled 2” by Yusuke Tsutsumi from the album Birds Flying in the Dark
“Elegiac” by Bryan Copeland; a StoryCorps Commission

All I Had Was Hope And You

Ernesto Rodriguez enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2000. When he deployed to Iraq five years later, his first child, Sebastian, had just been born. 

While Ernesto loved his time in the military, being away from home proved challenging — not just for him, but for his entire family. He left the military in 2009 as a result.

A few years later, Ernesto came to StoryCorps with his son Sebastian, who was 11 at the time, to talk about his service, his transition back to civilian life, and the importance of being a father.

For Ernesto and Sebastian, their StoryCorps conversation marked the beginning of an ongoing and open dialogue between father and son. So three years later, during Sebastian’s freshman year of high school, the pair came back to StoryCorps to record a second interview.

Next, we’ll hear from Army Staff Sgt. Papsy Lemus, who first came to StoryCorps in 2009 to talk about her 13-month deployment to Iraq. She sat down to have a conversation with her eldest child, Grizz, who was nine years old at the time.

Ten years later, Grizz, now 20, had more questions for Papsy (who is still in the military). So they came back to StoryCorps to continue the conversation.

Top photo: Artwork by Lindsay Mound.
Middle photo 1: Ernesto and Sebastian Rodriguez at their StoryCorps interview in New York, NY on April 1, 2016. By Morgan Feigal-Stickles for StoryCorps.
Middle photo 2: Sebastian and Ernesto Rodriguez at their StoryCorps interview in Bridgeport, CT on October 5, 2019. By Jud Esty-Kendall for StoryCorps.
Middle photo 2: Grizz and Papsy Lemus at their StoryCorps interview in Salt Lake City, UT on April 30, 2009. By Jeremy Helton for StoryCorps.
Bottom Photo: Papsy & Grizz Lemus at their StoryCorps interview in Salt Lake City, UT on October 29, 2019. By KUER for StoryCorps.
Released on January 14, 2020.
Like the music in this episode? Support the artists:
“Heat and Memory” by Jarrett Floyd
“Surly Bonds” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Aeronaut
“Sage the Hunter” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Landsman Duets
“NirvanaVEVO” by Chris Zabriskie from the album Undercover Vampire Policeman
“Elegiac” by Bryan Copeland (StoryCorps Commission)

This podcast is brought to you by supporters of StoryCorps, an independently funded nonprofit organization, and is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

 

 

On The Brink Of Separation

In 2001, Maria and Jose Rivas, who are from El Salvador, were living in the United States when two major earthquakes hit their native country. They were granted Temporary Protected Status or TPS, which allowed them to live and work in the US legally.

Since then, Maria and her husband made a life for themselves here; they worked and had two children, Ethan and Emily, who are US citizens.

In 2018, the Trump administration announced the end of TPS for Salvadorans; meaning Maria and Jose would be ordered to leave the country. 

On the brink of separation, Maria sat down for StoryCorps with her daughter Emily—who was a high school freshman at the time—to talk about the uncertainty of their future.

Faced with the threat of deportation, Maria and her husband made a plan for their children. They decided that if they were forced to leave the country, Ethan and Emily would stay in the US and live with their family friend, Lynette Craig, who Maria became close with while working as a nanny for Lynette’s children.

Maria recorded a second StoryCorps interview, this time with Lynette, to talk about their friendship and how they are preparing for whatever happens in the years to come.

Top photo: Artwork by Lindsay Mound.
Bottom Photo: Maria Rivas and her daughter Emily at their StoryCorps interview in December 2018. By Mia Warren for StoryCorps.

Released on January 7, 2020

Like the music in this episode? Support the artists:
“Heat and Memory” by Jarrett Floyd
“NirvanaVEVO” by Chris Zabriskie from the album Undercover Vampire Policeman
“Periodicals” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY
“Watermarks” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Crab Shack

This Is Where I Leave You

It’s never easy to say goodbye to the people we love, but in this episode of the podcast, we’ll hear from four families as they navigate some of the most difficult conversations imaginable and, in the process, they remind us that even in death, there is life.

The first story comes from Patricia Mishler who moved to the United States from England in the late 70s with her two daughters, Suzanne and Janette. In 2014, at the age of 72, Patricia was diagnosed with ALS–also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. At StoryCorps, she sat down with her daughters to talk about living with the disease and knowing that it would one day take her life.

Next, you’ll hear from Eva Vega-Olds and how she used the StoryCorps app to record her final conversation with her father, Leonardo Vega, while he was receiving hospice care at home. 

You’ll also hear Natalie Colvin interviewing her 88-year-old grandfather, Willy Weeks, who, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, made the decision to end his life on his own terms using a drug prescribed by his doctor. 

Our final story comes from 25-year-old Mark Carles, who came to StoryCorps with his older brother, David, to talk about how living with a rare form of liver cancer has impacted both of their lives.

Top photo: Artwork by Lindsay Mound.
Middle Photo: Patricia Mishler with her daughters Suzanne and Janette Lynch on March 28, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. By Erika Romero for StoryCorps
Middle Photo: Eva Vega-Olds with her father, Leonardo Vega, on her wedding day in May of 2009. Courtesy of Eva Vega-Olds.
Bottom Photo: Mark Carles and David Carles at their StoryCorps interview in New York City on November 6, 2019. By Mia Warren for StoryCorps.

Released on December 3, 2019.

Like the music in this episode? Support the artists:
“Heat and Memory” by Jarrett Floyd
“Untitled #2” by Yusuke Tsutsumi
“John Stockton Slow Drag” By Chris Zabriskie
“Siloed” By Matt Stevens
“Photosphere” By Charles Atlas

 

The Great Listen

This week, as people all over the country are coming together for Thanksgiving, we’re taking a break from this season’s theme — difficult conversations (knowing you might already have enough of those on your holiday plate) — to bring you something a little different.

In 2015, StoryCorps launched The Great Thanksgiving Listen, a national initiative that encourages young people — and people of all ages — to create an oral history of the United States by recording an interview with an elder, mentor, friend, or someone they admire.

In this episode of the StoryCorps Podcast, an excerpt from our new Thanksgiving special with NPR. Hosted by Audie Cornish, with commentary from Dave Isay, it’s full of stories from and about the people who inspire us most.

We’ll hear from Blanca Alvarez, who immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 1972. More than 30 years later, she came to StoryCorps with her daughter Connie to talk about that time in her life.

Later, Dr. Carla Hayden uses the StoryCorps App to record the voices of the Baltimore community after the death of Freddie Gray in 2015. 

Another conversation comes from Aidan Sykes, who visited the StoryCorps MobileBooth in Jackson, Mississippi, when he was just 9 years old, to interview his father, Albert. He had a lot of questions.

Tune in to hear several other stories that speak to the power and importance of listening, especially during the holidays.

Top photo: Artwork by Lindsay Mound.
Participant photo 1: Dr. Carla Hayden at her StoryCorps interview on October 03, 2018 in Washington, D.C.
Participant photo 2: Albert Sykes and Aidan Sykes at their StoryCorps interview on February 20, 2015 in Jackson, Mississippi. By Vanessa Gonzalez-Block and Danielle Andersen. 

Released on November 26, 2019.

Like the music in this episode? Support the artists:
“Heat and Memory” by Jarrett Floyd, 2019
“City Limits” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Albany, NY
“Cast in Wicker” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Aeronaut
“Foreign Ghosts” by Matt Stevens, StoryCorps Commission, 2019
“Lahaina” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Cloud Harbor
“Feathersoft” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Barstool
“Filing Away” by Blue Dot Sessions from the album Crab Shack

 

 

‘I Didn’t Realize I Was Gonna Say Goodbye For A Year’: Remembering The Pain Of A Mother’s Deportation

Pedro Lopez was in 7th grade when a rumor began to spread through his school one morning in 2008. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were raiding Agriprocessors, the meatpacking plant in his small hometown of Postville, Iowa. Soon, Pedro would learn his mother was among the nearly 400 workers detained. 

At the time, Postville was the largest single-site raid in U.S. history. For Pedro, it was the first time he had to reckon with what it meant for him and his family to be undocumented. 

LopezExtra1

Since the raid, Pedro and his family have acquired permanent residency through the help of an immigration lawyer. Pedro is working towards becoming an immigration lawyer one day, and plans to apply for citizenship.

Top photo: Pedro Lopez (left) stands beside his mother, Consuelo Lopez (right) in May of 2011 at St. Bridget Catholic Church on the 10th anniversary of the Postville raid. Consuelo is carrying the Book of Names — a record of those arrested and detained. Photo by Jim Slosiarek of The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, IA.
Middle photo: Pedro Lopez stands beside his parents at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa on his graduation day in May of 2017. Photo courtesy of Pedro Lopez.

Originally aired August 23, 2019 on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Five Years Later, Two Ferguson Protestors Reflect on the Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photo that Captured their Anguish — and Connection

Five years ago, when news of Michael Brown Jr.’s police shooting death spread, two strangers made their way to the Ferguson Police Department to protest. A local photographer, Robert Cohen, captured the moment.

In the photo, a young African American man’s face is twisted in anguish, tears streaming down his cheeks. Next to him, an older woman extends her hand to his shoulder in comfort.

The photo would go on the win the Pulitzer Prize, along with 18 other photos taken by photographers with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Earlier this summer, those two strangers, Jamell Spann and Elizabeth Vega, came to StoryCorps to remember that pivotal moment, and the friendship that grew out of it.

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Top photo: Jamell Spann and Elizabeth Vega are photographed on Monday, August 11, 2014 as police officers in riot gear clear demonstrators from the area surrounding the Ferguson Police Department. Hundreds had arrived to protest the police shooting of Michael Brown Jr. AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Robert Cohen
Bottom photo: Elizabeth Vega and Jamell Spann at their StoryCorps interview in St. Louis, Missouri on June 27, 2019. By Dupe Oyebolu for StoryCorps.

Originally aired on August 9, 2019 on NPR’s Morning Edition. 

In The Final Days Of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Nation’s First Active-Duty Military Contingent Marches In Pride

In the final days of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Navy Operations Specialist Sean Sala decided to do what had never been done before: march with an active duty military contingent in a Pride parade. It was July of 2011, just two months before the end of the policy that barred LGBTQ people from serving openly in the armed forces.

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Sean teamed up with San Diego Pride organizer Fernando Zweifach Lopez.  At StoryCorps, they remembered how they pulled it off — and what it was like to see over 200 service members show up at the starting line. 

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Top photo: Sean Sala and Fernando Zweifach Lopez at their StoryCorps interview in San Diego, CA on January 5th, 2013. By Luis Gallo for StoryCorps.
Middle photo: Sean Sala and Fernando Zweifach Lopez (center) marching together at San Diego Pride on July 16, 2011. Courtesy of Fernando Zweifach Lopez.
Bottom Photo: Sean Sala (right) marches alongside fellow Navy service members during San Diego Pride on July 21, 2012. That year, the Pentagon issued blanket approval for service members to march in uniform in the San Diego Pride parade. Courtesy of Sean Sala.

Originally aired June 29, 2019, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.