Growing up in Guatemala and the United States, Marselina learned how girls are held to different standards in terms of education and social responsibilities.

Ted Gong is a modest man who emits a kindness reminiscent of my own Chinese father. He’s also the executive director of the 1882 Foundation and retired Foreign Service officer.

For many journalists who do not identify as white, a crucial conversation arises: how to carve out an identity in newsrooms without being relegated to the “other.”

Malini Srinivasan dances to stay connected to her community, her culture, and herself.

Whether we migrate by foot, land, water, or air, these journeys continue even after arrival with new challenges. Along the way, we discover our resilience.

For Sanjana Quasem, there are no set markers that delineate between her American and Muslim identities. These angles reflect off each other, creating a kaleidoscope of memory and feeling.

Capoeira developed in Brazil, derived from traditions brought across the Atlantic Ocean by enslaved Africans and fueled by the burning desire for freedom.

“My daughter is transgender, and she changed the lives of everyone in our family. I thought she was confused and abnormal, but I realized the person who was confused was me.”

This sound collage includes a banjo rendition of the National Anthem, an origin country role call, and remarks from a Citizenship Ceremony conducted at the Festival.

We bring our traditions with us as we move through life, and those traditions change on our path—sometimes in surprising ways.