Preserving Arizona Barrio Stories
Join us in celebrating the vibrant stories and spirit of Latino and Chicano communities.
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Why is our work important?
An embedded part of Arizona’s Legacy
Throughout Arizona’s history, Latinos, Chicanos, and Mexicans—our gente—have been instrumental in shaping the state’s development, well before it gained statehood in 1912. Dr. Pete
Dimas, Professor Emeritus of History and historian, delves deeply into this rich legacy in his video series, Arizona’s Mexican Heritage: An American Story.
After Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1821, what is now Arizona became part of Mexico, remaining so until the Mexican-American War led to its cession to the United States in 1848. Yet
it wasn’t until the rise of the Chicano movement in the 1960s, led by passionate activists, that scholars were inspired to study and document the experiences and contributions of Latinos in
Arizona and throughout the U.S. This scholarly focus expanded significantly in the 1970s and continues to grow today.
Today, Latinos make up a third of Arizona’s population and 20% of the U.S. population (DATOS, 2024). Our gente have moved from being an invisible force in Arizona’s history to recognized leaders across every sector. Arizona Barrio Stories has emerged to honor these stories of growth and transformation, providing a space for our community to connect, share, and preserve the vibrant heritage of our neighborhoods, celebrate the contributions of our people across generations, and pass this legacy to future generations.
Background
Our Origin Story
Arizona Barrio Stories is a grassroots non-profit organization that was born during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It began as a group of Latino and Chicano individuals from diverse backgrounds who turned to social media, particularly Facebook, to create a digital space for one of the oldest forms of community building: storytelling. Through the power of oral tradition, they exchanged stories, shared experiences, and connected with others across
generations.
Arizona Barrio Stories has grown to nearly 40,000 members on Facebook. Our group is a tight-knit community who share a commitment to preserving and celebrating our histories. Our members contribute intergenerational stories, photographs, videos, interviews, and programs about the barrios where they grew up.
In partnership with the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center (ALAC), the home of our studios, Arizona Barrio Stories has expanded its reach by collaborating with Latino USA TV, the
global streaming channel. Together, we stream diverse programming to an audience of over 500,000 viewers monthly and stream on multiple platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, AppleTV+, Instagram, YouTube, Cox, Roku, and other distribution channels.
Our content covers topics like education, history, traditions, culture, and the arts, while honoring
the individuals, families, and trailblazers who have made a lasting impact on society.
Our Roots
List Of Arizona Barrios
From the 1940s to 1960s, dozens of barrios throughout the greater Phoenix area were vibrant
communities filled with thriving generations of Chicano and Latino families. Below is a partial
list of these locations. If you know of a barrio we should add to our list, please inform us and
include as much detail as possible, follow this link.
Barrio Stories
Share Your Barrio Story
We invite you to be a part of preserving the vibrant history of Arizona’s barrios. Whether you or your family grew up in a bustling neighborhood or a quiet street, your experiences form the backbone of our community’s rich tapestry. Tell us your story – a single memory, triumph (including the challenges) or a memorable birthday, family event, wedding, first job, anniversary, or your first day of school. Where did you or your family grow up? What kinds of traditions did your families embrace? We want to know and share in the legacy that shaped you.
Share Story
Our Long-term priorities
Arizona Barrio Stories C.A.R.E.S.
Our platform celebrates contributions from all levels of our gente, bridging generations and inspiring future growth.
Community
Our mission is to cultivate and promote a sense of pride across the communities of ABS.
Through sharing stories about our vanished barrios, our gente are bridging gaps by restoring our collective memory and orienting new generations about their rich, cultural heritage. As our membership increases, our vault of stories is enriched and becomes more abundant.
Advocacy
Embedded in the content through our digital broadcast platforms is a spirit of our gente with
resourceful information and knowledge to empower lives. ABS brings an array of professionals and content experts from all walks of life who serve as program hosts. Programs like
“The Irma Payán Show”, “La Platica”, and “Salud, Dinero, y Amor – (AARP Arizona Hispanic
Connection)”, provide audiences with valuable knowledge and information on timely issues
Recognition
Our goal is to collect, preserve, and share information with a global audience pertaining to nuestra gente. In addition to the abundance of knowledge already existing about many barrios, additional areas of interest include informative data about indigenous
cultures surrounding traditions, the arts, history, landmarks, notable buildings, personal stories and narratives, and unique dialogue about important topics and issues facing nuestra gente from content experts
Educate and inform
Collect, preserve, and share information with a global audience pertaining to our gente. In addition to the historical information documented on barrios, descriptive data on indigenous cultures’ traditions, the arts, history, landmarks, and notable buildings and structures is available
in our repository. This information is presented in the form of personal narratives and intellectual dialogue from content experts. Nearly 400 interviews and streaming content has been produced to date.
Support
ABS supports the community by preserving and sharing the stories of our gente. We honor our
past and inspire the future, providing a platform that bridges generations through our rich cultural heritage and life experiences. We celebrate our community’s victories, recognize its struggles, and spotlight the vital role of our supporters play – from local, state, and non-profit organizations, to corporations and small businesses – in maintaining society’s infrastructure. ABS works across these constituency groups in collaboration to raise their profile and deliver their message to the diverse audiences across our media outlets.
Sharing Stories
Featured Arizona Barrio Stories
Discover the heart and soul of Arizona’s barrios through our curated collection of stories
Donate
Support the Barrio Legacy
Gifts of philanthropy help ABS take on new and bigger challenges to better serve our communities. From informative local productions to educational outreach that span our state, nation, and beyond, philanthropic donations help us make a bigger impact.
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