Jorge on Becoming George

"I was born Jorge, but I became George in fourth grade when I had my first white teacher. He looked at my name and decided to call me George because it was easier for him. Now, everyone calls me George, except for my family. After all this time, I feel like I am more of a George than a Jorge.

“I grew up in Columbia Heights. My parents are from El Salvador. They came to the area 22 years ago and have lived in Columbia Heights for 14 years. They came to DC for a better life. My Dad gave up a small business in El Salvador to come here. My Mom was poor in El Salvador and came here to make some money for her family and then go back home. But, my parents met here and they decided to stay.

“Growing up in both environments was great. As a kid, my friends were all kids whose parents knew my parents in El Salvador. These families created their own El Salvadorean network here in DC. My English only started to pick up later in my childhood as I was only surrounded by Spanish as a child. At home, we speak Spanish. Now, I do my English thing when I am out here with my friends. But, at the house, it is always Spanish. My parents are really strict about that.

“The last time I went to El Salvador was 18 years ago. The whole territorial gang violence down there is really hectic so I haven’t been in a long time. So, I don’t really feel a connection to the land of El Salvador, but I do feel a connection to the people and culture. See, I did the whole public school thing in DC which was tough. Fortunately, I went to a charter school for high school. As I was the only Spanish speaking kid there, it made me feel more Latin because I had to represent. That experience really helped to shape my identity."

Amy on Storytelling

“I am third generation DC. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a comedian. My idol was Carol Burnett. I did improv for a while with Washington Improv Theater and taught a couple of courses there. One night, I ended up going to see the Washington Storytellers Theater, that is what SpeakeasyDC used to be called. The event was an open mic storytelling night. It seemed quirky and the perfect thing for what I was interested in. There was a smattering of people and a mix of stories. My roommate noticed that I was going to the open mic nights a lot and saw that they were looking for a program assistant so she suggested I apply. I took the job and hated it at first, but now I love it.

“DC's one of the biggest theater towns, but the city mostly puts on plays. Whereas in New York, Chicago and LA, there is more experimental and smaller theaters for people to do whatever the hell they want. So, I think that the bar is high to get on stage in DC between the artist and non-artist. You are either a consumer or a creator. Storytelling, the way that we do it, shrinks that gap. Any person who walks in off the street can tell a story. We will help them do it. I can’t tell you how many people come over and thank us for helping them explore their artistic side. All day, they are in a government office or a contract lawyer looking at documents and this is one of the only creative outlets that they have found. It is not the only one available of course, but everyone has stories. We help people here share those stories.

"My DC story that I like to tell on stage is about being different. I was working in a miserable cubicle downtown. It was draining my soul and I was trying to figure out what to do. I would spoon confectioners sugar from the box just to keep alive. I walked out one day and saw this tall guy in pink spandex with yellow headphones running backwards while spinning around and screaming as he ran into oncoming traffic. I was like, 'Oh my God, that guy is crazy. I want to be crazy like that, too!' I was in a suit and pumps and I was frozen watching this guy thinking, how can I be that guy. This cop came over to me and said, 'Yeah, that's Cedric. He's as sane as you and me. He's an accountant.' See, that's good crazy, someone who doesn't care and just does what he wants to. I was going to put on pink spandex and meet him one day, but there is no way that I could keep up. The moral of the story is that he makes that choice to be himself here. He is unafraid of looking like a crazy person in the heart of downtown DC by doing what makes him happy. At that time, I was walking around DC in a constant cubicle. That guy really inspired me to pursue what I wanted to do and be more crazy in my life."

Find out more information about telling a story, hearing a story and learning about storytelling through SpeakeasyDC here.

Al on Honor Flight

"Honor Flight is an organization that flies World War II veterans to DC from all over the country free of charge. The program started in 2004 when the World War II Memorial was finally dedicated. There are now about two million living American veterans of that war. Every year, we bring about twenty thousand of them to DC. Flights come to DC just about every week, mostly on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The guys and their families spend about an hour-and-a-half at this memorial and then they can see the rest of the Mall. At the end of the day, they fly back home. For many of these people, it is their first time in DC.

"The memorial took so long to build because when these guys came home from the war, they just went to work. They were not rallying for recognition. And it wasn't until 1987 when a real discussion on the memorial got started. If you are from Washington, you know how Washington works. They started talking about the memorial in 1987 and it took until 1995 to select this place. They then fought over this place for six years for a number of reasons. They said it interfered with location of Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech. Also, because this location is on a flood plain. Another reason was that it blocked the view between the Lincoln and the Washington Monuments.

"But, in 2001, guys like Senator Dole said, 'Enough! World War II veterans are dying at 1,000 a day. Let's build the damn thing.' That's how it started. They then raised $195 million and spent $180 million to build it. It was very little federal money and mostly private money from veterans, schools having bake sales and other sources. That is how it got built in 2004.

"On a good Saturday, we will bring in 1,000 World War II vets to the memorial. It is very emotional for me to talk with these guys as I am a Vietnam vet. While we served in different periods, we speak the same language. And one thing we all have in common, whether it is with the World War II guys or the guys returning now from Iraq, is that there is the right way to do things, the wrong way to do things and the Army way to do things!"

Read more about and support Honor Flight here.

Matt Irwin and I conducted this interview.

Sam on the Audacity of Hops

"I grew up outside of Burlington, Vermont. When I was 19, I tried to convince my Dad to let me use his home beer brewing kit, but he said I was too young. Then, when I was 20, I bugged him again and he finally took it out and we brewed a brown ale together. In college, I grew to like beer more and brewed a new batch every couple of months for me and my friends. But, I really fell in love with beer when I moved to DC.

"I bought equipment down here and started making regular batches. DC is a political place and I like to make theme beers. You know, beer names are full of puns, that is why people like beer so much. I wanted to throw an election party and brew a cleverly named, themed beer. Four or five months before the election, which is probably more time than I spent preparing anything, including my senior thesis at college, I created the Audacity of Hops. I used victory malt and progress hops and coffee from Hawaii, Kenya, and Indonesia, which are Obama's three homelands. It was 8% alcohol and made of half-light and half-dark malt. It was a very thought-out process. The election came and the party went over really well. People loved it and The City Paper even wrote about it. You know, I didn't have a contingency plan had McCain won. I could have made a McCain beer I guess, but it would have been bitter, old, and dusty!

"For inauguration, I had another party and made 200 numbered Audacity of Hops beers. That was the most beers I had ever made in my life. I even kept a bottle of Audacity of Hops for the President. It is numbered 50 for the great State of Hawaii. I have tried to get it to him on a number of occasions, but I don't know if it's going to happen. But, if the President ever wants it, even when he is no longer the President and just some dude living down the street and he wants to have a beer, it will always be waiting for him.

"Seeing and being involved with the beer culture in this city got me thinking about starting a brewery. One of my biggest questions is why there is not a real functioning DC microbrewery. Other major cities have multiple local breweries. Seeing the success of the Audacity of Hops and the success of my regular beer-tasting nights with friends, it is clear that people love beer here. But, the most local brew you can get here is from Delaware and Virginia.

"It has been 25 years since there was a microbrewery in the area. Before the Kennedy Center was built, that land once belonged to the Heurich brewery, built by a German immigrant in the 19th century. But, sometime in the 50's or 60's, he started contract brewing up in New York. That was really the last bottling brewery in DC. I would love to buy a DC beer that is brewed with DC water and takes pride in being from DC."

This post is part of a weekly series of People's District on the Prince of Petworth, check it out here.

Maryam on Being Persian

"I grew up in Boston and came here four years ago to do my LL.M degree after finishing law school in England. I have always liked the diversity of DC as it exists on so many levels. Culturally, you have all different kinds of people interacting here every day. Work wise, you have a lot of people coming here to do what they truly love whether it's non-profit, a law firm or the different development banks. Geographically, you have a city feeling, but five minutes down the road you can take out a paddle boat for the day or head out for a hike. Whatever you are in the mood for, DC has to offer. There is a great energy here and people are nice and undiscriminating.

"Ethnically for me, being Persian, people are knowledgeable or keen to being knowledgeable about my background and where I am from. Other cities I've lived in, being Persian intrigues people, but more in an ignorant way. I find that interest really refreshing here. There is a huge Persian community in the area, mostly in Virginia and Maryland. What is nice about this Persian community is that is so young and vibrant. Here, people are very proud to be Persian. They are excited to host Persian events and bring Persian culture forward. Most of the Persians around here are very liberal and open minded and not stuck in that old world mentality, but keen to promote being Persian for what that means for the food, culture, and music. And, you see those elements all throughout the area."

Cynthia and Scott on Raising a City Girl

Scott - "This is Sabine. She is named after a river in Texas. My family crossed that river over a hundred years ago. Cynthia listened to a Lyle Lovett song, the Texas River Song, and heard the word Sabine and we decided that it would be a beautiful name for our baby. Sabine's a DC girl. However, when she was born, we had some Texas soil sent up and lay it under her so we could say she was born on Texas soil as well. I really love it here and wouldn't want to move out of the city, unless we go back to Texas."

Cynthia - "She's only three-months old, so we are still getting the hang of this whole parenting thing. You know, you have to think ahead for everything, stroller or babybjorn, always decisions to be made. It is very cool to think about raising her here. I would love to raise her in DC, but there are lots of trade-offs, especially when it comes to schools and voting. As you know, the public schools here are not great. And, I need to say that having a kid makes me angrier about DC not having a vote. I have gotten more galvanized about the issue. It seems so much more appropriate now with a child that we be able to represent ourselves. When we were living together before I was pregnant, we didn't really pay as much attention to all of the little things and seemingly minor risks. But, once you have a kid, you worry more about everything, especially crime. With Sabine, I get a little more cagey around people. So, there is a give and take, but it is awesome here and when I think of moving to the DC suburbs, it gives me the hives. There is an instant community in this city. It is not like we are living on an acre of land completely disconnected from our neighbors. And, kids who grow up in DC have so much more moxy from such an early age. In this city, age three is the new age five. That's a little bit scary, but it will be nice that our city girl will be more savvy than her suburban friends."

Scott - "Yeah, that whole grow-up-faster thing, not so exciting for me as the Dad of a girl."

Dawit on Teaching Eritrean Youth about Their Forefathers

“One of the values of Eritrean culture is that we don’t really speak a lot about ourselves, but about our collective effort. We don’t really believe that anyone has achieved anything based on his own efforts; it is all about the collective effort. Eritreans are very resilient and hard working. We strive to do the best in life. That is what I am trying to teach our youth.

“Our main goal in the Youth Center at the Eritrean Cultural and Civic Center is to make sure that the newer generation maintains the culture, history and values of their ancestors. Young people need to feel comfortable in their new home, the United States, but they also need to know their forefathers history.These are tomorrow’s leaders and they need to be ambassadors between Eritrea and the United States. We have several programs: language and history courses and leadership development. We want to empower Eritrean youth to be responsible citizens.

“There is a substantial Eritrean population in DC. One thing that we can see that happens here is that those who come and stay within their community and stay true to their values, tend to be very successful in their personal life. They are more positive citizens to both Eritrea and the United States. This is because kids need to know where they come from and who they are. It teaches them to respect their elders and respect humanity.

“The majority of the Eritrean youth are doing well in life and in their studies. But, some of the youth have drifted away from the core values of our culture and pick up the negative aspects of the youth culture. You don’t see Eritrean youth engaged in destructive behavior, at least that I know. Eritreans look out for each other and take responsibility for our own kids and our community’s kids. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, but some of the challenges you see mostly arise from cross-generational, cross-cultural differences between parents and children. These are the things that we try and address."

Dawit, right, is seated with friends at the Eritrean Cultural and Civic Center at 600 L St. NW.

Tyrone on Living in a Young City

 “I came up on East Capitol Street.  The main thing about DC is that it is constantly evolving.  It is always reinventing itself.  There was a time when it was a small country town.  It is a young city now, not a sleepy little old town anymore. These days, DC is more of a young person's place.  Maybe I say that because I am getting older! Even when I go to the restaurants now, they are always full of young people.  It always seems to be the twenty-something crowd running the show.  The city is so young and energetic which is a nice change from when I was coming up here.  But, I have always been young and energetic, so it is nice to see things finally catching up with me!”  

Barry on His Characterization of Ben Franklin

"I don't consider myself anything more than a recent student of history. My first entree into reenactment was as a colonial soldier. My son who studies history suggested that I give it a try. I did and really liked it. I learned how to soldier and fire a musket, it was quite fun. A couple of years ago, I injured by back and could not do maneuvers with the regiment. Instead, I sat by the campfire in my colonial outfit with my hair pulled back. People would come over to me as say, 'Hi, Ben.' They wouldn't say, 'Who are you or what are you?' It was always, 'Hi, Ben.' So, I ended up getting a new outfit made for me as Ben Franklin. When I am in a crowd, people don't mistake me for anyone else.

"DC wasn't here at the time of Franklin. But, it is a fascinating place because it is the nexus of the political nodes of this nation, just as Philadelphia was during Franklin's time. That makes this a very special place and Franklin would have loved it, simply because of all of the different people from different walks of life that DC attracts.

"Franklin was a thinker. He was outspoken. Today, we say he was outside of the box, but the box didn't really exist at that time. He understood people and how things worked and was able to work within those parameters to build a new and exciting country for all Americans. As Ben Franklin, I want to impart these lessons to those in the DC area. I visit schools and do events at lunches, dinners and restaurants. I did a bit in Paris as Franklin in French, just as he did when he went there in 1776.

"What is fascinating for me is that Franklin unselfishly pursed his goals. He did not set profit as his goal ever, yet he was still successful and made money. He worked for the public cause, not private gain, which is so interesting in light of today's political environment. These are important lessons for everyone, especially our politicians today."

Learn more about Barry's characterization of Ben Franklin here.

Rose on Being Where She Wants to Be

“I can recall when they had dirt roads going up and down Martin Luther King Avenue. At that time, it was known as Nichols Avenue. This was many, many years ago. They had ice trucks and watermelon trucks and fish trucks driving up and down these streets. It was wonderful. It is still wonderful. There is a lot to see over here in Anacostia. People should come and visit. Anacostia is a historic part of Washington, DC. And, Frederick Douglass is over here, too. Come over here and see him and get some history out of this old neighborhood.

"All of my life, I have lived in Anacostia and I couldn’t live nowhere else. This is my home. I raised my family here. I met my husband here. I met him at the top of the hill on Mars Road, near Fort Stanton. We are still together after 50 long years. See, this is my homeland over here. This is where I want to be. I don’t really leave here because this is my love. I love the neighborhood and community. They are so supportive. This is where I will be for the rest of my life.

"Now, I own Maple View Deli and Catering. This place used to be the old Miles Long sandwich shop, home of Pearl, the Miles Long sandwich girl. Our signature dishes are the Maple View cheeseburger and fish and cheese on a bun. But, you also got to try our macaroni and cheese."

Go visit Rose and try the macaroni and cheese at Maple View Deli at 1208 Maple View Place SE.

Rose, in orange, is pictured with Little Joe, Daron, Kristen, and Yvette.

Theresa on Moving Back to DC for Her Son

“I moved to Capitol Hill when I graduated from college. I loved it here. It was so exciting. But, I got married and had kids and moved to the big house in the suburbs of Annapolis. It was in one of these Mysteria Lane type neighborhoods. My husband and I raised the kids there, but I was always yearning to come back.

“When my second son decided that he loved music and wanted to go to the Duke Ellington School for the Arts in Georgetown, he commuted for two years from Annapolis. It was one and a half hours each way. That is how much he loved the school. After two years of that, we decided to get an apartment in Capitol Hill and eventually bought a house here not far from my first apartment in Capitol Hill.

“Another thing is that my son is gay and so, the city is so much nicer for him. It is so much friendlier and more accepting. This is where he needs to be. I think that’s what makes us the most happy here, too. Here, our neighbors are a gay couple with a child. So, my son feels very at home and more himself.

“We initially came for our son, but stayed for us. We love our Saturdays here. We walk the dog, go to Eastern Market, sit at Marvelous Market with a coffee and watch the parade of people. It is a great place to be. We had nothing like that in Annapolis as we had to drive everywhere. Annapolis is such a different lifestyle. My husband is not a big city guy, but he is starting to like it here now."

Theresa is pictured with Tilly.

Derek on Being the Stereotype

"I'm the stereotype of what all of you white folks think of black men in the ghetto. I'm 32, have five children who don't live with me and served time for selling drugs. Don't you judge me, though, because living here is hard as shit. I grew up in the projects of Southeast. Coming up in DC is fucking hard. There is a lot of racism and a lot of injustice. There's a lot of fucked up shit going on, period. This is a political city and politicians need to care more about the people here and less about money. That's how I feel. 

"I ain't justifying my actions, but unless you live this and spend every day on these streets, you can't have no idea of what we deal with: drugs, police brutality, bad schools, no opportunities. That ain't no way to live. People here become a product of their environment. You grow into what you see. It is hard for kids here to think that being a doctor, a lawyer or an entrepreneur is possible. The closest many people will get to success here is being a teenage mom or a drug dealer. That's it.

"Every day is tough. If you're not caught up in the loop, which is politics, you out of the game unless you want to sell drugs or get a lame-ass job that pays you nothing. You certainly not going to get nowhere if you play by the rules here.  If you have setbacks and get into trouble, you really ain't going to get nowhere. After jail, you are looked upon as if you can't do nothing and there is no use for you other than being locked up again or out here selling drugs. I been in jail twice, first time when I was 20 for selling drugs. But now, I have a job and am trying to make right. 

"People in DC need to care about what is happening on these streets and in these projects. For all of you in other neighborhoods, especially the white folks in Northwest, there ain't no difference between us. It's what's in your heart that matters." 

This post is part of a weekly series of People's District on the Prince of Petworth, check it out here. 

Marlon on Documenting Environmental Damage in Anacostia

"I was always the photographer on family vacations. It was great, but I am, like, in none of my family photos. When I heard about the photography class at the ARCH Training Center in Anacostia, I signed up and kept on going with it. Now, I received my GED through ARCH and am helping other young people learn about photography. My high school in Northeast near Stadium Armory didn't have an art program so I learned everything here.

"It has been a wonderful experience and I met a lot of artists and big photographers from all over the world. Since enrolling, my work has been displayed in a number of student shows, two professional shows and even one show in Paris. Now, I work with students at the Art Training Center at ARCH and am curating a show for young photographers about the environmental changes in Anacostia. Our show, Eco-Action-Reaction, is opening on November 7th.

"In my own photography, I try and bring out the beauty in DC, whether through landscapes or nature. In Anacostia, I try and bring out the good and the bad in the neighborhood. My photos try and show what man is doing to the environment here and my pictures will be, like, birds with the polluted water in the background. Some of the pictures can be really powerful and give a perspective on what's really going on with the environment here."

See and read about Marlon's photography here. Support ARCH, including donating old cameras, here.

Steve on Writing Your Senator

"I grew up in a small town in Southern Missouri. Sometime during the early years of high school, I decided that foreign service was what I wanted to do. I didn't know much about it and there was no Internet then so I asked my Mom what to do. She said, 'Well, write your Senator.' So, I wrote to Senator Stuart Symington, the senior Senator of Missouri. He was a very influential and powerful man and was in the Senate for ages. I received a very nice letter back answering my questions and saying that he was interested in people who wanted to serve their country. He told me to 'stay in touch.' Well, as a young, innocent, poor boy off the farm, I took that very literally. During high school and through undergraduate, I sent a letter once or twice a year to the Senator telling him what was happening in my life. Each time, I got a very nice response and answers to my questions.

"As I was looking at graduate schools, I was very interested in George Washington University. I wrote to the Senator asking for a letter of recommendation for financial support. I received a nice letter back saying, 'Dear Steve, I won't be able to do that, but if you do get accepted, I would be glad to give you a job on my staff.' I got accepted and became a doorman in the Senate gallery. It was a patronage job.

"Arriving in DC in January 1967 was very dramatic for me. It took me two days on a Greyhound bus to get here. I got off at the old bus station on New York Avenue with a guitar in one hand and a suitcase in the other. It was 5 a.m. and the Senator's office expected me at work that day. I walked over to Pennsylvania Avenue and turned left and there was the Capitol. I was just stunned. I thought, I have now made it in the world. As I walked down the street, I was thinking that life couldn't get any better than this!

"When I got to the Senator's office in the old S.O.B., the old Senate Office Building, it was still closed as it was still 6:30 or 7 a.m. I sat outside of his door on my suitcase and pulled out my guitar and started playing, waiting for someone to come. The first person to show up and see my playing was his legislative assistant. She said, 'Can I help you?' I told her that I was Steve McDonald reporting for my first day of work. She took me to the Senator's bathroom to wash up and shave. I met the Senator later that morning. I found out several months later that the Senator's personal aide, not the Senator, had been the one to see and respond to my letters. She probably signed the letters for the Senator, too. She tracked my progress over the years and told the Senator to hire me.

"At that time, I was amazed by the caliber of Senators, especially the great Republicans: Everett Dirksen, Clinton Anderson, Margaret Chase Smith, and Mark Hatfield. Even though I was working for a Democrat, I really said to myself that these are people of the nation and not all about this partisan nonsense like we have today. In fact, I ended up registering as an Independent, which didn't make my office very happy. But, I was so impressed by both the great Democrats and Republicans of the time. I used to think that our nation was in such good hands, a feeling I don't have anymore. But, it is from those early experiences where I draw my optimism in our nation and its people."

Grace on Appreciating How Good We Have Things Here

"I've lived in DC since 2006.  Before that, I lived in a wide variety of places including Korea, China and the former Yugoslavia. Compared to those places, this city seems like a small friendly village. To go from one end of town to the other in Beijing or Seoul, you needed at least an hour. DC is really quaint in comparison. So, it is nice to settle back into a place like this where this is a large international contingency, but a smaller town manageability. Before Asia, I was in the former Yugoslavia both during and after the war. Trust me, this city is great in comparison. Sometimes we don't appreciate how good we have things here. 

"DC has world class museums and the restaurants are great.  I have come upon the best of a lot of worlds here and I would not have appreciated it as much had I not lived in these other places.  In DC it is so much easier to deal with things.  You know, it is my own country so that helps. But otherwise, the ease of life here is incredible in comparison. I am not a DC native so I was not sure how much I would like it when I got here, but it has exceeded my expectations. I would like to keep a base here and continue to travel abroad, but I always want to come home here."