Teresa Reyes was born in El Salvador and came to the United States in 1999 when she was 17 years old, nine months pregnant and spoke only Spanish. As she established herself in her new home, she packed lettuce in farm fields, worked in slaughterhouses and taught herself English. She eventually put herself through college and now works as an environmental scientist. We talked about … Continue reading Teresa Reyes
Last month I spent time at The Miami Valley School in Dayton, Ohio. They hosted our American Stories exhibit, I led school assemblies, visited classrooms, and we set up a studio in their greenhouse to ask the student body to reflect on what makes us human. It’s a complicated question…but one that drew thoughtful replies with an interesting range of perspectives in their pre-k through … Continue reading What makes us human?
She walked right up to me. I think she was in 8th grade. “Can I ask you a question?” she wondered. Of course. “Do they cry? These people you interview?” Often, I told her…and so do I. There is something powerful about an open and honest exchange. When you give someone your full attention and make it clear that what they have to say is … Continue reading Do they cry?
