Family Bonds & Cultural Preservation

“I believe that moving to America did not affect my cultural practices. Our children still follow their culture; knowing the fundamentals are an important part of our heritage.” – Chung-Yun Yu Story By: Wei-Shuen Yu Photo Credits: Bobby Gutierrez Hui-Ming Lee-Yu My name is Hui-Ming Lee-Yu; I am originally from Taipei Taiwan. The reason why I…

Artistic Armando de Abiquiu

Name: Armando Adrian-López Location: Abiquiu, New Mexico Topics: Art, Artist, Culture, Mexican, Sculpture Quote: “They say we create our own reality. You are responsible for who you really are. You create yourself. And I really believe that.” Artistic Origins & Coming to the U.S.  I’ve been living here for the last 25 years, so Abiquiú has been…

Mercedez Holtry

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Topics: Performance, Culture, Chicana, Nuevo Mexicana, Poet Quote: “Burque is a rough town. There’s a lot of bad that happens here, but in my heart I know there’s more good that tops that bad. Writing about that pain that we face here I think is so important because it not only helps us heal…

Joseph A Wasson Jr.

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Topics: Nuevo Mexicano, Performance, Culture, Chicano, Art Quote: “I remember growing up on Montgomery Blvd., which was the city limits of Albuquerque. It seemed like growing up back in the 60s and the 70s was a lot simpler. We used to hang out on the streets. We lived by a ditch. We used…

Van Overton, Jr.

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Topics: Volunteering, Aid, Culture, African-American, Education Quote: “I’m big on one particular hashtag that I use – #ShowUp – you know that’s what it’s all about! Whether it’s for class or for a neighbor or for yourself, everything in life is just about showing up. Be that person you know that can be counted on…

Molly Molloy / Las Cruces

Name: Molly Molloy Location: Las Cruces, New Mexico Topics: Education, Librarian, Immigration, Border, Youth Quote: “I’m the person that people come to when they need information about the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration topics.” My name is Molly Molloy and I’m originally from Louisiana, in the southeastern part of the U.S. I am currently a research librarian here,…

Hakim Bellamy / Albuquerque

Name: Hakim Bellamy Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Topics: Art, Poetry, Albuquerque, Collaboration, Youth Quote: “As poets, we make sure that we all grow our skills as a cohort.” Yo, my name is Hakim Bellamy, I am a human of New Mexico. I’ve been… it’ll be 12 years in January, and I’m a poet. I do lots of…

Carlos Contreras / Albuquerque

Name: Carlos Contreras Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Topics: Art, Poetry, Albuquerque, Collaboration, Economic Development Quote: “Get out and experience your city! Plug yourself into an art scene. You don’t have to be an artist to benefit from it. It’s healing in all ways.” My name is Carlos Contreras. I was born and raised here in Albuquerque, New Mexico….

Ralph A.Vigil II / Pecos

Name: Ralph A. Vigil II Location: Pecos, New Mexico Topics: Agriculture, Water Rights, Family, History, Northern New Mexico My name is Ralph Vigil, Jr. I’m from here, from Pecos. I’ve lived here all my life, 38 years. I was born in Las Cruces but been in here in Pecos, raised up on the east side…

Kilko Paz / Albuquerque

Mi nombre es Kilko Paz, yo soy de Bolivia. Vine en el 2008. Bueno, me mudé porque estaba casado con una Americana y nos venimos aquí porque ella empezó a estudiar aquí en UNM. Y entonces yo encontré la oportunidad también de hacer mi maestría aquí en UNM, que ya la terminé, bueno ocho años…

Zavier Thompson / Albuquerque

My name is Zavier Thompson, I’m 15 years old. I go to Highland High school. I grew up in Albuquerque. What else is there to say? I mean I record music. My first EP, my first project is called the Woke EP that just dropped August 27th and is available now on iTunes and other electronic…

Seeds: A Collective Voice – Mural Reception / Albuquerque

Priscilla Garcia | Chilili, NM – Listen My name is Priscilla Garcia. I come from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I come from a historic neighborhood, Martinez Town. I now live in the mountains close to Chilili. I’ve known Jade for many years and she brought me into the project about a year ago. Being part of the…