Retired City of Las Vegas Assistant Fire Chief Cherina Kleven was born in Taiwan, the fifth of her parents' seven children and the first daughter. The family spoke Taiwanese at home, but once the children started school all instruction was in Mandarin Chinese. Her father was in charge of the motor pool for the U.S. Embassy, and her mother stayed home. In 1970, the family immigrated the U.S. and to Las Vegas, where her father could use his training as an electrician to work with air conditioners. Cherina attended Roy W.

Born and raised in the Philippines, Maila Aganon emigrated with her parents in 1992, after she completed her first semester of college. She describes as "typical" her youth as the youngest child (with brothers 5 and 7 years older) of a teacher who worked in another village and a father who worked out of the country. Although independent, she was part of a tightly knit village. The household spoke three languages: her mother's dialect, her father's dialect, and Tagalog.

After a 13-year courtship spanning the Pacific Ocean, Arlene and Mach Manuel began married life in San Diego, where their daughter was born. The couple is from two worlds. Arlene was raised in the Philippines, where her parents sacrificed to send her to the best Catholic school in Manila and to college for two separate degrees. In contrast, Mach's San Diego upbringing was that of a working-class "American" child who connected with his Filipino heritage on his first visit to the Philippines as an adult.

After a 13-year courtship spanning the Pacific Ocean, Arlene and Mach Manuel began married life in San Diego, where their daughter was born. The couple is from two worlds. Arlene was raised in the Philippines, where her parents sacrificed to send her to the best Catholic school in Manila and to college for two separate degrees. In contrast, Mach's San Diego upbringing was that of a working-class "American" child who connected with his Filipino heritage on his first visit to the Philippines as an adult.