Last summer, I went out and performed ethnographic research where I interviewed cannery workers like my father and housekeepers like my mother, who help upkeep the tourist industry on the coast. I worked with restaurant owners, elders who have resided on the coast for decades, and middle school students, hearing their dreams and experiences.

I wanted this work to center on lived experiences. This ethnographic work in my community yielded a Gallery show in 2024 which included a baile folklorico performance, a curated selection of photos I took, some past written pieces about the carceral nature of the United States for undocumented immigrants, Youth Mexican-American Subcultures, and a short documentary of my family highlighting the experiences of a Migrant family in Oregon. I noticed how young kids saw themself in the gallery exhibit, they saw their parents, their neighbors, and a collection of dreams becoming reality.