Immigrant Stories 2026: courage, strength, and hope
and then
Join us on Tuesday, October 27th at 6 PM in the University Union Building on the campus of Sacramento State for our 5th annual Immigrant Stories showcase, an event amplifying the lived experiences of our immigrant community members. Five storytellers will take the stage to share their true personal stories on the theme of this year: Courage, Strength, and Hope. This event is hosted in partnership with the Undocumented Student Resource Center (formerly called the Dreamer Resource Center) of Sacramento State. It is funded in part by a grant from the California Arts Council and sponsored by SMUD.
This year we are hosting the event both in-person and online. Please note: All attendees (for both in-person and online) must get tickets. Tickets are free. For those who are able to donate, we truly appreciate your support. You may donate by clicking on the “Donate to the Event” button. Â
We have space for 350 attendees in our auditorium at Sacramento State, and we would love for you join us there. If you are not able to join us in person, join us online (via Zoom). For both in-person and virtual tickets, click the button below. You’ll be directed to our Eventbrite page where you should click “Reserve a Spot” and then you can choose whether you’d like to order “in-person” or “virtual” tickets.
For security purposes, we are sharing the location information and our virtual link with only our ticket holders. Once you get your tickets, you will receive information a few days before the event about the auditorium location and/or a link to join us virtually! If you have questions, email us at info@capitalstorytelling.com. Join us in solidarity to witness and uplift our immigrant community’s stories.
**You must order tickets beforehand. Tickets can be obtained at our Eventbrite site (button below).Â
For those who are able to donate, money will go towards our Immigrant Storytelling Program as well as the Undocumented Student Resource Center. Your donation allows us to continue offering free storytelling programing to first- and second- generation immigrants in our city and to host our annual event. This program and event is lifechanging for many people. Donations that go to the Undocumented Student Resource Center will support students at Sacramento State whose families may be mixed status, undocumented, and immigrant.Â
Date: October 27th
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM PT
Location: Â University Union Building on the campus of Sacramento State AND VIRTUAL. To receive the exact room location OR to get a link to the virtual event, you must order a ticket and enter an email address. Information will be sent to ticket holders’ email addresses.
ASL Interpretation will be provided. The venue is wheelchair accessible.
If you need accommodations or have questions, please contact Lisa Cantrell at lisa@capitalstorytelling.com so that we can work with you to make this event as accessible as possible.
The event will be held on the first floor of the University Union on the campus of Sac State, 6000 J Street, Sacramento. See map and info below for details on location and parking (and click the map to enlarge it). The University Union is highlighted in Yellow on the map. Parking is in purple. If you have questions, email us at info@capitalstorytelling.com or call the Undocumented Student Resource Center at (916) 278-7734. You may also call Capital Storytelling at 1-(209)-425-2951.
Meet the Storytellers
Shein Ei Cho (she/her)
Storyteller
Shein Ei Cho is a storyteller, story coach and science communicator who wanders into any stationery store that she sees. She is a two-time winner of Story Collider’s Science Story Slam and has told stories at First Person Story, the Story Collider and various story slams. She currently works in scholarly communication to make science accessible and equitable. She was a Story Ambassador in 2025 and has facilitated workshops for Capital Storytelling.
Manuel Camacho
Storyteller
Manuel Camacho is a proud, former undocumented immigrant. He came to the United States when he was 19 years old and learned English as a second language. He uses storytelling as a medium to share his experience coming across the border and working without papers. He believes that it is important to recognize and honor those who risk their lives searching for a better life. He is a professor, short story writer, and poet.
Priya Venkatesan (she/her)
Storyteller
Priya Venkatesan is originally from India and speaks Telugu, Tamil, and English. She holds a master’s degree in computer applications and has built a long career spanning technology, process improvement, and change management. A passionate public speaker and advocate for career transitions and new beginnings, Priya believes it is never too late to start again and create a meaningful path forward. Living across languages, cultures, and professional worlds has shaped her understanding of identity, belonging, and resilience. She is passionate about building communities where people feel connected, supported, and empowered and believes that sharing our stories can inspire change and help others feel less alone.
Pete Cruz (he/him)
Storyteller
Pete Cruz is a second-generation immigrant whose father first arrived from the Philippines to America in 1929. Pete's mother later joined his father in the United States in 1948. Pete was born in San Jose, CA, where his family's beginnings were as farmworkers. He is an accomplished author who wrote the award-winning book, No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness, a sensitive and raw memoir of recovery from childhood trauma. Pete is currently making the transition from a writer of stories to a teller of stories. Where the craft of writing requires precision for each written word, he finds his challenge as a storyteller is to present a tale without notes and in a more informal, communal environment.
Diana Paola Manzano Licona (she/her/ella)
Storyteller
Diana Paola Manzano Licona was born in Mexico and raised in Southern California. She is the daughter of two immigrant parents who sacrificed everything they had for a better life. Because of their sacrifices, Diana is currently pursuing her higher education at Sac state. In spring 2027, she will graduate with a B.A in social work with a minor in child and adolescent behavior. Diana hopes to be an advocate for children in the system and those with disabilities. She found her passion for advocacy through the Undocumented Student Resource Center, formally known as the Dreamer Resource Center, at Sac State. Through them, Diana found the courage to be a voice for underrepresented communities.
Questions and Answers!
Do I have to get tickets for the event beforehand? Yes. This year for security reasons we are requiring all guests to order their ticket before the event (both in-person and virtual attendees). The event is donation based (so if you are unable to pay, you can still get tickets for free!) but you should go to our Eventbrite page (by clicking on the button above) to get a ticket.
How do I attend virtually? If you’d like to attend virtually, click the button above to go to our Eventbrite page. You can then click “Get Tickets” and then you will have the option to order virtual tickets. You will then receive an email with the link to get into our virtually streamed Zoom event to watch the event online.
I want to attend in person. Can I just show up on the night of the event? The short answer is “not really.” We will be sending the exact auditorium location only to those who are ticket holders (so you’ll need to order a free ticket before hand and enter your email address so that we can send you an email to tell you know where to go for the event!). If you show up to the University Union on the night of the event you will likely see where the event is (we’ll have sign up to direct you), BUT if you do not have a ticket, we will still ask that you go to our Eventbrite page and get a ticket before you enter the auditorium. We are doing this so that we can maintain security of the event given the current political climate. We recommend getting that ticket before you arrive so that you can enter the auditorium easily and quickly and also so that you can be sure that we have a seat for you! We have limited space in the auditorium (350 seats).
Where is the event located? The event will be in one of the auditoriums inside of the the University Union on the campus of Sac State (Sacramento State University is located at 6000 J Street, Sacramento CA). We will share details about the exact room a few days prior to the event with those who have ordered a ticket for the in-person event. To see where the University Union is, you can check out the campus map below! The University Union is highlighted in yellow on the map. You can also put “University Union” into your phone’s GPS application and your phone should also direct you to the building!
Where do I park? There is a parking structure right next to the University Union (see map for purple highlighted parking structures). We suggest that you park in Parking Structure 2. You will need to pay for parking. You can do that by paying at one of the kiosks in the parking structure OR by using the QR code on the campus map to pay by phone. If you are using the QR code and your smart phone to pay, use the parking code 5115. (You will be prompted for this code when paying with your phone.)
Thank you to our partners and our sponsors for this event.
