By Tanya Sierra
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 27, 2005
NATIONAL CITY – The epitome of being a Californian was celebrated at the Martin Luther King Community Center last night during an interview and performance by acclaimed writer Ruben Martinez.
The Emmy Award-winning journalist, who grew up in Los Angeles and lives in New Mexico, shared his experiences on writing about other people, particularly immigrants, with an audience of about 50.
AdvertisementThe California Council for the Humanities chose nine cities to host diverse authors for a monthlong story-sharing campaign called "California Stories Uncovered." It's a statewide effort to promote literacy by focusing on what it means to be a Californian.
For Martinez, who joked that he began scribbling notes in his mother's womb, writing about other people is a near-sacred responsibility.
"This is the type of writing that keeps me up at night," he said. "You know in the end when they read it, they're going to say, 'Yeah, but that's not really how it was.' "
A journalist, poet and musician, Martinez answered questions from Jim Quay, the council's director and an editor of the anthology that features the visiting authors, then performed a song.
His books include "Crossing over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail"; "The New Americans," a series of essays and cultural criticism on migration and the global era; "The Other Side: Notes From the New L.A., Mexico City and Beyond"; and "Eastside Stories: Gang Life in East Los Angeles."
Martinez, 42, is an associate professor in the creative-writing program at the University of Houston.
Bringing people together to hear about real stories, such as those of the many who migrated to California, helps break stereotypes and strengthen communities, Quay said.
National City, which is the most diverse city in San Diego County, was an excellent backdrop to talk about the California immigrant experience, city librarian Anne Campbell said.
"Education levels and literacy rates are low in National City, so it's not your typical venue," she said. "But the message behind 'California Stories Uncovered' is these are everyone's stories."
In terms of embracing diversity, California is ahead of the curve, Martinez said.
"I can't imagine California without the Little Saigons and the Little Armenias – that's what California is to me," he said.
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Tanya Sierra: (619) 498-6631; tanya.sierra@uniontrib.com
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