Alondra Corona

Born and raised in Azusa in a working-class Mexican family, the only time Alondra spent outside the East San Gabriel Valley was during her college years, when she lived in San Francisco. “I was coming from a very small town where I knew most of the people, living close to everything,” says Alondra. “Suddenly everything was very distant from me and I had to learn how to ride public transportation.” She missed her family’s bakery, the view of the San Gabriel Canyon from her childhood home, and being able to hike and bike on the hills nearby on the weekends. When she returned to Azusa, she had a whole new appreciation for it; a place where so many immigrant families like hers can live side-by-side with others from different cultural backgrounds and get along. “That’s something that is very unique to the East San Gabriel Valley,” she says. (This interview was conducted by Cal Poly Pomona Environmental Planning Student, David Pérez.)