Rocio Rodríguez-Martinez’s oral history is one that comes with the glimmer of emeralds, soft aroma of orchids, and the powerful scent of coffee—100% Colombian coffee, that is. Born in Bogotá, Colombia to Eustacio Rodríguez and Tulia de Rodríguez, Rocio’s story is one that takes her from pretending to be a teacher at her family store in Santa Isabel to teaching English to mothers of students in the Clark County School District [CCSD] of Las Vegas.

For Leonardo Martinez, the United States was never meant to be a destination—it was merely a short stop along the way as he awaited the day he could safely return to his family in El Salvador. Now a man who embraces the occasional Big Mac from McDonalds but never turns away a Salvadoran pupusa, Leonardo has embraced both places as home with memories that took him from his humble upbringings in Santa Lucía to the bright lights of the city of Las Vegas.