The People Who Raised Us

Before you press play

Good for families and intergenerational groups. Invite people to bring a photo of someone who raised them.

Play it on a laptop or TV with the screen on, since most voices are short videos. Each neighbor is introduced by a short card. You can pause after any voice to talk.

Content notes. A Mexican American Catholic bishop: About a grandmother's death, told gently. A Filipino American Catholic family: They remember her after her death. A Diné silversmith teaching his son: Mentions missing and murdered Indigenous women. A Diné weaver: Mentions the Long Walk of 1864.

Who you'll hear

1. A Mexican American Catholic bishop. My grandmother taught the bishop · StoryCorps · 2 min
2. A boy and his Japanese-speaking grandmother. Talking all day with Grandma · Discover Nikkei (Japanese American National Museum) · 1 min
3. A Filipino American Catholic family. We are her work · StoryCorps · 3 min
4. A Jewish woman remembering her parents' Sabbath songs. Singing Shabbat songs at home · Yiddish Book Center, Wexler Oral History Project · 1 min
5. A Diné silversmith teaching his son. The only time with my dad · AZPM (Arizona Public Media) · 6 min
6. A Latter-day Saint grandson doing family history. Grandpa and his toothpicks · The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 1 min
7. A Diné weaver. A lifeline in the wool · Grand Canyon National Park · 4 min
8. A musician who is Potawatomi, Ojibwe and Chinese. Dumplings and the hoop dance · PBS NewsHour, Brief But Spectacular · 3 min
9. A Japanese American woman on learning to hug her parents. Hugging my parents for the first time · Discover Nikkei (Japanese American National Museum) · 2 min

The order rotates between plays, so no tradition always goes first.

Talk about it

1. Which grandparent, parent or auntie in these stories reminded you of someone in your life?
2. What did the people who raised these neighbors pass down: a skill, a faith, a habit, a recipe?
3. What's something you carry from the people who raised you?
4. Who raised you that you could thank this week?

Let anyone pass. Listening is the point.

Try it this week

Ask a friend who lost someone what their grandparent was like, and just listen.

Read more: What do I say to a friend whose grandparent died? · neighborradio.com/ask/what-do-i-say-to-a-friend-whose-grandparent-died/