An outdoor photo-and-story exhibit celebrating Immigrant Heritage Month opened outside 500 County Center on Friday, according to a press release from the County’s Office of Community Affairs. Organizers partnered with Behavioral Health and Recovery Services each June to highlight the personal histories of the county’s diverse population.
The installation features displays from a wide array of local residents with roots in India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Lebanon, Samoa, Mexico, Colombia, the Philippines, and various other regions. The focus on global backgrounds directly mirrors the experiences of the large South Asian and broader immigrant diaspora communities residing across the region.
Personal Journeys of Resilience and Heritage
Among those featured is San Mateo County Sheriff’s Deputy Ebenizar Gibson, who immigrated to the United States from Liberia in 2014 as a 17-year-old high school senior. Leaving his family and home behind was a challenging transition, but Gibson stopped by the installation to connect with the shared narratives on display.
“Seeing other people put their stories out here, that’s not necessarily my story, but it does fit some of the narratives I’ve been reading through these pictures,” Gibson said, pausing to read a contributor’s tribute to her mother, “who supported my childhood by spending her workday bent over a sewing machine.”
“I think it’s inspiring,” Gibson added. “It’s nice knowing that the county appreciates diversity and the stories that every one of us have.”
The text displays highlight various immigrant experiences. One contributor writes of becoming her parents’ “American Dream.” Another recalls “flavors and family traditions,” while a third reflects on becoming “the living result of everything they left, built and carried forward.”
Building Connection Across Communities
The display also features Deandra Lee, an exhibit co-organizer who chose to contribute her own personal background to the collection.
“The stories humanize us and just make all of us feel more connected,” Lee said. “Instead of strangers in the county, we can feel a little more comfortable understanding that we’re all coming from different parts of the world.”
Lee noted she hopes visitors will take a few moments to read the installation and see something of themselves in the stories of others. The exhibit will be open to the public in the lobby of 500 County Center through Friday, July 3, during standard business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This text was edited with the assistance of an AI tool and has been reviewed and edited for accuracy and clarity by India Currents.
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