The city of San Diego has officially released a new community voices project entitled “I Am San Diego,” in collaboration with the nonprofit StoryCorps Studios.
Showcasing the unique and diverse perspectives that make up San Diego, the project contains conversations between people who call America’s Finest City home.
This past summer over the course of a week, StoryCorps Studios produced 25 recordings at the downtown San Diego Central Library, where participants were invited to chat with a friend, relative or colleague.
While the nonprofit has partnered with cities in the past to create audio time capsules, Caitlin Moses Bowser, managing director of StoryCorps Studios and Strategic Partnerships, said San Diego is the largest city they’ve worked with to date.
“The city hired StoryCorps Studios to support its goal of uplifting and celebrating its diverse and beautiful community,” Bowser said. “We worked with a fantastic group from the city and public library in an effort to center the perspectives of those who are often unseen.”
From the youngest participant – 13 years old – and the eldest at 81, the project features an array of voices experiencing San Diego, delving into topics ranging from Major League Soccer to gentrification.
“Often, it’s those who think of themselves as ordinary or not a storyteller who have something extraordinary to say. This collection is the perfect example,” Bowser said.
Francesa de Vera, a librarian and youth engagement coordinator for the San Diego Public Library, participated in a recording with her co-worker, Karla Pacheco.
“Having Karla interview me added to my comfort and ease throughout the process,” de Vera said. “As I shared my story, I also discovered new things about Karla that I hadn’t known before. I was surprised to realize that, despite growing up in different regions of California, our experiences as Chicana women navigating society, family and identity were strikingly similar.”
For de Vera, the opportunity to share and preserve her story represents an opportunity for healing and reconciliation, she said.
“As a queer, trans woman of biracial identity, I feel a strong responsibility to share my story, hoping it might offer hope and solidarity to other young queer trans individuals or those navigating challenges related to identity, addiction or mental health,” de Vera said.
A driving goal behind the project, according to Bowser, was to create an audio time capsule of San Diego not only to be shared with the public, but also archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
The collection, now publicly available on the I Am San Diego website, includes featured conversations, including an animated video highlighting a portion of a conversation with San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Chief Robert Logan and his friend Capt. Jason Shanley.
While StoryCorps Studios completed their recordings at the Central Library, San Diegans are invited to grab a partner and share their own stories to contribute to the audio archive.
“We encourage everyone who is interested to find a conversation partner and share their San Diego stories,” Jennifer McBride, a supervising public information officer for the city. “In the future, the city will continue to explore options to continue the program and capture even more stories.”
To contribute to the project, visit StoryCorps’ city of San Diego page.
