Itzel Garcia
This interview is with Itzel Garcia, an indigenous Mexican-American who works in cultural education. Having grown up as part of a migrant family living in The Valley, Itzel speaks about how police brutality, alienation from American culture, and the legacy of colonization have all impacted her life. She shares her experience of connecting with the indigenous imagination and Mexica tradition through her work at Academia Cuauhtli, the impact that work has on her and the Latin American community in Austin, and how that work has shifted during the pandemic.
Juan Coronado
This interview is with Dr. Juan Coronado, a professor from the Río Grande Valley. Juan reflects on growing up surrounded by Latino culture and on his exposure to migration and the presence of the border. He talks as a historian about his impressions of changes at the border and in the US at large that followed 9/11. Juan also discusses the effects of wars in the Middle East on Middle Eastern populations, American troops, and American culture.
Katy Murdza
This interview is with Katy Murdza, the Texas regional organizer for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, in Houston, TX. Katy describes her start in immigration activism during college, her work at a detention center through the Dilley Pro Bono Project, and her work with SA Stand Coalition and Houston Leads. She compares life in the places she has lived and also recalls her travels, including being in the Peace Corps in Panama. Katy describes the connections between the causes she organizes for and believes in, such as immigration reform, abolition, and transit.
Marialena Cristerna
This interview is with Marialena Cristerna, who is a pastor in Eagle Pass, Texas. Marialena has been preaching to an Episcopalian congregation for 23 years between the border of Texas and Mexico. Her community outreach includes frequent trips to Piedras Negras, Mexico, where she delivers groceries to families in need. She and her husband, who is also an Episcopal priest, pastor two congregations in Piedras Negras. Since the pandemic, Marialena has made it her mission to assist students. With the help of the church, she ensures students have iPads and computers to attend online school. In this interview, she discusses the strength of her faith, the value in community work, and the importance of hope during this time.