A passion for conservation links Costa Rican to the U.S.
By Julia Gaspar-Bates Jorge Bogantes Montero grew up in a middle-class suburb outside San José, Costa Rica’s capital. His teacher-parents…
Cultural Connections: Resident’s transition from bucolic Germany to urban Hyattsville
By Julia Gaspar-Bates Born in the small town of Kaiserslautern, Germany, Christine Hopp was raised in a 13th-century restored farmhouse….
Cultural Connections: An Egyptian’s journey from the streets of Cairo to a home in Hyattsville
By Julia Gaspar-Bates Born in Cairo, Egypt, Fawaya Mohammed spent her early years in a poor neighborhood close to the…
Cultural Connections: Faith guided Canadian resident’s journey
By Julia Gaspar-Bates Growing up in Cambridge, Ontario, Maggie Banga describes having a typically Canadian childhood. “We loved winter,…
Chinese resident’s cultural curiosity eventually leads her to Hyattsville
Jessie Chu was born in Beijing, China, into an upper middle-class family. Since her parents were very career-oriented, Chu lived…
Cultural Connections: Longing for belonging – from India to the US
By JULIA GASPAR-BATES — Being an outsider has been a lifelong reality for Gautam Bastian. Born in Delhi, India, to…
Cultural Connections: From Mexico to Maryland
By JULIA GASPAR-BATES — Growing up in the small colonial town of Cotija, Michoacán, in central Mexico, Paulina Valencia Quiroz…
Cultural Connections: From rural to urban – A Dominican's migration
By JULIA GASPAR-BATES — Claudia Simasek has many happy memories of growing up in the rural town of San Francisco…
Cultural Connections: From the Caribbean to the nation’s capital
By JULIA GASPAR-BATES — Hyattsville resident Janine Dowden is no stranger to adversity. Growing up on the Caribbean island of…
Cultural Connections: Political turmoil brought Venezuelan resident to US
By JULIA GASPAR-BATES — Cooking became a passion for Hyattsville resident and entrepreneur Mickey Torrealba when he was 12. Growing…
