Jorge (Tampico, Mexico)

Tampico smells like salt and sun. The port city has shaped me–the boats, the open-air markets, the evenings spent with pan de muerto and coffee as the breeze rolls in. When I visit my relatives in Cerritos, I see how proud they are to keep these traditions alive, even here. They cook barbacoa, play mariachi music, and tell stories in Spanish. I admire them for holding onto our culture so tightly. Still, Mexico will always be my heart, my home, my soul.