Immigrant Stories (LIVE EVENT!) 2024

Lucy is Mexican born with Nicaraguan roots, raised in Canada and immigrated to the US in 2004. Her unique upbringing led to her love of all things pop culture, and that love of pop culture helped spark and shape her interest in story structure and storytelling. She attended her first storytelling classes with Capital Storytelling in the summer of 2019, with the hopes of using the skills learned at the classes in her everyday life. She officially joined the Capital Storytelling staff in 2023, where she brings her experience in photography, videography, and social media to help Capital Storytelling grow and reach a larger audience.

Janine Mapurunga is a native of Brazil who felt confined by a culture where machismo and violence against women are prevalent. At the age of 16, she left everything she knew and came to California alone in search of a place where she could spread her wings. Her undergrad work is in photography and cultural anthropology, and for grad school she focused on visual culture, artistic production and research. She got her first camera at age 10 and she helps people tell their stories through her work as a visual storyteller.  She believes in the power of oral storytelling as a tool for collective healing, understanding and compassion.

Carlos is a Mexican immigrant, coming from the state of Sinaloa, and being brought over to the U.S. at just 10 months of age. Growing up with American customs as well as Mexican traditions, the phrase “ni de aqui, ni de alla” runs true for him. Carlos is currently a Sacramento State student and works for the Dreamer Resource Center on campus. He is passionate about helping others with his same background and hopes that through telling his story he can help others be proud of their immigrant status. 

Nancy is a native Arabic speaker from Egypt and emigrated to the USA eight years ago. She is a mom, a daughter, an employee, and a student. Nancy is currently working towards her degree in social work, which she expects to receive from Sac State in 2025. For the past three years, she has been working with Refugees in a nonprofit organization. She is fascinated by the world of social work and loves connecting with people; she finds this work to be deeply fulfilling. This will be her first time sharing a story on stage, and she is excited for this experience. Outside of parenting and work, she loves biking, reading, writing, and public speaking. 

Sara was born in Iran and immigrated to the US with her family when she was two years old. As an Iranian-American, honoring her dual identities has both enriched her life with cultural depth and, at times, ambiguity. Her pursuits are as diverse as her background: a career in medicine, a hobby in improv comedy, and a hunger for travel and good food. She learned the art of storytelling through Capital Storytelling in 2020 and has shared the benefits of this craft at work and at the Sacramento Comedy Spot.