Even if you are from the same neighborhood as someone else, you might still be coming from different places. Where you are from is a complicated question and it elicits complicated, but interesting and thought-provoking responses. We’ve shared some of those responses below.

Maya Umemoto Gorman | Photographer, Dancer, Creative

I was born in raised in Sacramento, California! Growing up, I was raised a dancer. My parents always encouraged artistic pursuits, and I never had much of a life outside of dancing and performance. Growing up a dancer prepared me to be a full-time creative. We were always told not to expect money or stability from dancing, so when I pursued art in my adult life I was never really concerned with the monetary aspect. Read more>>

Smita Yamala | A software professional, an Artist(Paintings, Handmades etc) and a writer/blogger

I am currently staying in Redmond, Washington. I am from a city called Visakhapatnam from India. My mother practiced as an advocate. My father was a law professor and a former vice chancellor for a law university in India. He was a veteran too. The best part of my childhood is having my parents who were never judgmental about anything I wanted to try my hands on, be it, art, writing, music, dance etc. Read more>>

Soni Lopez-Chavez | Artist

I am from Guanajuato Mexico. My parents brought me to California as a child and Ive been living here since then. I pull a lot of inspiration from my culture and heritage. Most of my illustrations are inspired by my surroundings and childhood experiences. I try to draw things that I wish I would have seen when I was a child. Read more>>

Olaa Olabi | Cinematographer

I was born in Brooklyn, NY. My parents had emigrated from Syria before then. I grew up taking on responsibilities many other first generation kids are familiar with and that has made me a more independent and understanding person. Being submerged in two different cultures growing up has given me an outlook on life I really appreciate and that has played a big part in my career.  Read more>>

Carolina De Athey | Actress, Artist – Singer Songwriter, Model and Influencer

I’m from São Paulo, Brazil and I love it. But I lived in different parts of Brazil. The way my parents raised me definitely influences who I’m today, I’d say I have a lot to thank them for raising me surrounded by love! They have always taught me to have principles, values and integrity. We always had lunch and dinner together and talked to each other everyday. I still talk to my family daily so I’d say we are pretty tight. Read more>>

Jaden Hunter | Student at UC Berkeley, Entrepreneur, Photographer, Community Rebuilder

I am from the Eastside of South Central of Los Angeles, not too many positive things are said about my community it is a negative stigma set on the Eastside of South Central I just wanted to put something positive into the world and show people that positive things come from the Eastside. Read more>>

Victor Arriola | Photographer/Photo Editor

I was born in LA, and raised in different areas in the San Fernando Valley. North Hollywood is the city that I was around most. Read more>>

Judy Radachy | Executive Director, Oasis of Hollywood, Author, Speaker

I’m from Texas, but have lived in CA since 1979. My background and upbringing definitely impacted who I am today. First of all, my mother abandoned me and my two siblings when I was 14 years old. This caused a lot of hardship for me since I was the oldest, I became the “mom”—cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, all while going to school and hoping for a scholarship for college. My dad lived with us but he had 2 jobs so we didn’t see him very often. Read more>>