Manuel Droz Colón came from Puerto Rico to New Brunswick at the end of the 1950s. He describes the discrimination he experienced in the city and the creation of the Puerto Rico Action Board, which is still in existence. He is proudly committed to the Hispanic American community and works with Esperanza Neighborhood Project.

Amanda Alvarado is an activist in her New Brunswick community who works to keep public servants accountable. She is also a devoted mother who provides for her children so that they have access to opportunities that for her, as a migrant, seemed unreachable.

Odonia Cancino left Puebla, Mexico when she was 20 years old and has experienced several challenging moments along the way. She has been living with a condition that, at one point, left her immobile. She is a single mother who loves her children and has worked hard to support both them and her family back in Mexico.

Rigoberto Cruz Martinez and his wife, Lizet, share their story from their beginnings in Mexico growing up in musical environments, to crossing the border, and their challenges to survive in the United States. They discuss how music, the church, and their community have allowed them to stay together for over twenty years.

New Brunswick resident Selena Andraca has had facial paralysis from a very young age and came to the United States as a child to seek treatment. She is an optimistic person, who has overcome the obstacles that have been presented to her in her life. Selena is generous and seeks to help others, and talks about the love she has for her family. 

Germania Hernandez narrates her experience as a member and employee of New Labor, a community center located in New Brunswick, NJ. She relates how New Labor provides services that help the lives of immigrant communities by fighting for the rights of immigrant workers. 

Jennifer Cortes is a Mexican business owner and resident of New Brunswick. She discusses how community work has helped her, her family, and her business feel supported and has made her and her business feel like a valued part of the community. Jennifer tells her story and that of her family.

Esmeralda Hernández has overcome many hardships in her life and is determined to heal the generational trauma that she has experienced for herself and for her five children. She is proud of her accomplishments, including receiving certification in continuing education classes after not being able to finish school when she was a child, starting her own small business, and being involved in her community through Mil Sonrisas.

Andres Felipe Londoño is a young entrepreneur. He experienced a troubling upbringing of displacement, houselessness and uncertainty that led him to live a lonely life and slowly find himself through his mentors. Andres discusses the employers who guided him and provided life advice as they shared their projects with him. He speaks of his many projects, his successes and failures, of being in jail, reconnecting with his family, and his special connection with New Brunswick.

Sonny Silva is a Vietnam veteran from Milford, New Jersey. Sonny talks about growing up in Milford, his time in the US military, and the close personal friendships he made during that experience. Since retiring, Sonny works to help veterans get the services that they need. He views his work as paying it forward for the help and advice his friend gave him after returning from service.

Celmira Cordero left Peru in 2005 and came to the United States for employment opportunities and to be with her husband. She discusses her employment and education experiences in the states, including her time going to college while pregnant and while having a small child. She completed her degree in 2016 and now works as a Personnel Coordinator. She is involved with Proyecto Esperanza as well as New Brunswick Tomorrow.

“Celi” Alonso Roque is a devoted mother who always keeps her head up amidst any struggle. She discusses the obstacles that exist when trying to raise three children, as well as the strength it took to migrate to the United States and start a new life.

Project Manager in New Orleans discusses the economic and social reasons for her not wanting to have children at this time, the poor quality of healthcare available in Louisiana, as well as her frustration with the medical system for not taking more of a stance in defense of reproductive rights.

Sergio Andraca is a musician, family man, and a manager at a boat inspection facility. In Mexico he worked as a musician for a little over a year. When he became a father and faced a hostile work outlook he decided to come to the United States. After a few years on the move, he settled in New Brunswick and works at a company that inspects rescue rafts where he has been for more than twenty years.

Christin Guerrero narrates her life experience as an immigrant trans woman living in New Jersey. Her recollections include memories of life back in her home country of Mexico and the different hurdles she has faced in the United States.

Ponciano Ramírez migrated from San Juan Vallarta, Puebla to the US when he was 34 years old. He describes the harshness of working the land, his experiences living in New Brunswick over the past nine years, and the insecurities he has faced during that time. He also discusses the good medical attention he has received, which has allowed him to recover from ongoing illnesses.

Joe Nastus loves his hometown of New Brunswick and details many fond memories of growing up in the area. Joe worked full-time in the plumbing business, owning a company that he sold in 2015. He discusses the many reinventions of New Brunswick that he has witnessed over the years. He is involved with Rotary fundraising, likes to take cross-country motorcycle trips, and is earning his private pilot’s license.

Alejandrina Montesinos discusses the obstacles she has faced as well as the importance of her faith and the unconditional love she has for her family. She left Mexico to better support her children’s educations and futures and was unable to say goodbye to her mother before she passed away. Alejandrina has always worked to give her children a better life than what she has had, and is happy to see them thrive.