Wanda Walker is the oldest of 6 girls. Her sister Faye Taylor is next to the youngest. They say there was always sibling rivalry. Though Wanda moved to Chicago after high school, now she’s back living in Alton near Faye, and all but their youngest sister, who lives in Ohio. Here, they reminisce at StoryCorps about growing up in Alton and the generosity their parents showed for anyone in need.

Wanda Walker And Faye Taylor

Identical twins, Evelyn Campbell and Yvonne Campbell, are the youngest of nine children born and raised in Alton. In this StoryCorps interview, they talk about their mother's influence, COVID, racism, and their careers. Evelyn is a nurse and Yvonne owns a café in Alton.

Yvonne Campbell And Evelyn Campbell

Twenty-six-year-old Maylin and her 4-year-old son came to Chicago from Honduras in 2015 fleeing threats from organized crime. She’s seeking asylum but her case was denied and she’s appealing. She came to the StoryCorps booth with her friend Antonio Gutierrez from CALA – Community Activism Law Alliance - to talk about what she’s been through and about whether Chicago is a Sanctuary City. Maylin began by describing how gangs burned down her home in Honduras because she refused to pay them what she calls a “war tax” on her business.

Antonio Gutierrez And Maylin

32-year-old Wilmer Catalan suffered injuries when six U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents entered his Back of the Yards home without a warrant. They wrongly identified him as being on the Chicago Police Department’s gang database. He was already suffering from a drive-by shooting accident and the listing could have forced his deportation. The city settled Wilmer’s civil rights lawsuit and cleared him from the database. It’s also supporting his Visa application in exchange for his dropping several lawsuits.

Wilmer migrated to Georgia from Guatemala when he was 18 where he met his wife Celene. They moved to Chicago nine years ago after facing racism in the south. They came into the Storybooth with Antonio Gutierrez from OCAD or Organized Communities Against Deportations to talk about the arrest.

Antonio Gutierrez And Wilmer Catalan

Several students from Community Links High School in Chicago sat down in pairs this month to speak with each other.  In this clip we hear from two boys ages 15 and 16 about the challenges one’s older siblings and parents face by being undocumented.

Community Links HS Students

28-year-old Ferima Samake came to Chicago from Mali, West Africa at the age of 14. She came to the Chicago Storybooth with her mother Binetou Kone on the day, last week, that Ferima was granted legal status in federal court after being undocumented for 13 years. Ferima talked about what a relief that is after years of tough times and discrimination.

Ferima Samake And Binetou Kone

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. We’re highlighting a conversation between friends Ijun Lai and Emerald Lai, who discuss their experiences growing up as Taiwanese-Americans, and recall their meeting on the “Love Boat” study abroad program in Taiwan.

Ijun Lai and Emerald Lai

A public virtual listening event of first-person stories of Robbins residents documenting their lives and the town’s past, present, and future. Hosted by Jill Hopkins of Vocalo Radio. It was held on May 21, 2021. Robbins, IL is one of the oldest incorporated U.S. African American communities, and the oldest Black suburb around Chicago.

Felicia Christine Mia

Manny & Eric Williams

Tiffany Robinson & William White

Stanley Mike Tracey

Tyrone & CarlHaymore

Jennifer Velazquez, a Logan Square Neighborhood Association youth organizer and long-time resident, speaks to her colleague and friend Christian Diaz about the transformation of her neighborhood after the completion of the 606 Trail, how it’s affected her family, and the immigrant population. This conversation was recorded on November 9, 2018 at Logan Square Neighborhood Association.

Jennifer Velazquez and Christian Diaz

Gina M. Ramirez and Giuliana M. Ramirez share their experience as one of the few Mexican families in the neighborhood of East Side, Chicago where they grew up, and the racial tensions at the time.

Giuliana Ramirez & Gina Ramirez

In this excerpt, Mary Kane remembers the scary stories people would tell during her childhood in Ireland.

Mary Anne Glowacz, Mary Kane, & Margaret Kane

In this excerpt, Diane Miller talks with her nephew Torrence Ross about her incredible experiences working in a nursery for premature babies and adopting one of her patients.

Diane Miller & Torrence Ross

Ninety-four-year-old David Takada, along with his wife Joan Takada came to the StoryBooth in 2016 where they were interviewed by their son Michael and their granddaughter Anna Takada. They explore the differences between David’s heritage as a Japanese American who says he found ways to live mostly outside the confines of an internment camp between 1942 and 1945, and Joan’s, as a bilingual Japanese woman who knew nothing of the camps when they first met. And they talk about the legacy they’d like to leave for their family.

David Takada

For Valentine’s Day, we’re highlighting a conversation between Aurelie Baetche and her husband and life partner William Fuhrman. Together, they recount their first meeting in France, Aurelie’s home country, and their second meeting in Spain, William’s home country. Despite long-distance beginnings, they now live together in Chicago. Record your love story virtually. Make an appointment at www.storycorps.org/chicago.

Aurelie Baetche & William Fuhrman

StoryCorps’ mission is to provide people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives.

Founded in 2003 by MacArthur “Genius” Fellow David Isay, StoryCorps records stories that would otherwise be lost to history, reminding the nation that every story counts and every voice matters. We’re working to build

StoryCorps into an enduring national institution that celebrates the dignity, power and grace that can be heard in the stories we find all around us.

StoryCorps in Chicago

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