As part of the I Am San Diego project, the City of San Diego has collaborated with nonprofit StoryCorps Studios to produce conversations between San Diegans, capturing their unique and diverse experiences as they live and work in the nation’s 8^th largest city. These honest and heartwarming conversations are now being shared publicly and will be archived in the Library of Congress. 

Over the course of a week this past summer at the San Diego Central Library in Downtown, StoryCorps Studios recorded the stories of people who call San Diego home. Participants were invited to chat with a friend, relative or colleague. The conversations capture a moment in time and represent a cross-section of the city with participants from every City Council district. 

San Diegans are also invited to record their own stories, by visiting the website and recording an interview themselves with a loved one. 

“By preserving these conversations, we’re honoring the experiences of our residents and creating a lasting legacy for future generations to understand and appreciate what it means to be a San Diegan,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “I know that as people explore these stories, they’ll consider adding their own. The more stories we capture, the more this website will reflect the rich diversity of our city.”   

The collection is now available for anyone to listen to on the City’s I Am San Diego website. Featured conversations include educators from Perkins Elementary School in Barrio Logan, neighbors who survived the 2003 Cedar Fire, a married couple who immigrated to San Diego from India, sisters who are passionate about preserving their heritage, a park ranger who spent 25 years working in Balboa Park and an animated video highlighting a conversation between San Diego Fire-Rescue Chief Robert Logan and his friend Capt. Jason Shanley.  

More than 35 people participated in the project. Additional recordings are available for listeners to enjoy on the City of Diego’s StoryCorps archive page. 

To ensure these stories are saved for future generations, the recorded conversations will be archived in the Library of Congress and more San Diegans are invited to share their own stories as part of the online audio time capsule. 

“I Am San Diego is a way for residents to share their individual experiences and for others to learn from them,” said Library Director Misty Jones. “This project captures many of the voices, perspectives and stories of the people who call San Diego home. By listening and adding to this diverse collection, we can gain a better understanding of what makes San Diego such a unique city.” 

"StoryCorps' mission is to help us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all — one story at a time,” said Caitlin Moses Bowser, Managing Director of StoryCorps Studios. “We are grateful to the City of San Diego for trusting StoryCorps Studios to highlight the city's dedication to cultural and social progress through the stories from inspiring community members. We hope that this collection deepens community connections and sparks meaningful dialogue."  

I Am San Diego, first announced in January 2022, is an ongoing effort to build empathy and understanding around how embracing diversity is an essential part of sustaining inclusive communities.  

About StoryCorps Studios

StoryCorps Studios, the brand studio of StoryCorps, offers an award-winning approach to storytelling centered on the belief that everyone has a story to tell. StoryCorps Studios facilitates personal conversations between people who care about each other to create authentic content that resonates. The StoryCorps model is built on 20 years of public trust with over half a million participants.