I grew up in Arizona and had a good childhood. We had nothing, but mom kept us warm and we had somewhere to stay. I had seven siblings and we went to school. My dream was to become a photographer. I took some classes for a year and a half…

When I was a child, I loved digging holes and being outside in dirt. This interest came from a group of paleontologists that visited my school. I told mom: “When I grow up, I want to be a paleontologist.” She laughed and said: “Well, isn’t that a mighty big word…

Ohio is where I come from. And where alcoholism came, too. I’ve been out here in San Francisco for over 20 years now. This city has been good to me. You know? I’ve had good jobs. I worked for 32 years. “I’m mentally in between.” I can’t go to a…

I grew up in San Francisco, in the Fillmore area. I’ve been in and out of prison most of my life. Last time, it was eight and half years for a burglary, and I was in before for a bank robbery. …

I live in Oakland, but today I came to San Francisco to get me a free haircut. I’m also going to the library to look for a job, check my emails. Then I wait for my girl to get off work and go back home. We are an interracial couple…

My mother and I were always moving from one city to another, wherever there was a job — Richmond, Howard, Oakland, San Francisco… So many places, so many schools. We came to California from Mexico when I was seven years old. When I was 11, I found that my brother…

I am articulated and educated, but I have been homeless on and off for about six years. I’ve worked for a company for 21 years. I’m 52 now and have a pension coming that I can collect when I turn 62 or so. Meanwhile, I continue to work. I used…

Six years ago, I left Juárez and came to the U.S. looking for a job. First, I lived in Reno, Nevada, but there weren’t many opportunities over there, so someone told me it’d be much easier if I came to San Francisco. “I like taking care of my nails. …

“Shhh! You know we have been robbed of our heritage and now we have to play the role of being latinos”. I was born in 1945 and grew up in San Jose, California. I belong to the tribe “Milwaukee”. At that time you couldn’t say that you were Native American…