TODOS SOMOS SUNLAND-TUJUNGA / WE ARE ALL SUNLAND-TUJUNGA 

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Todos Somos Sunland–Tujunga is a civic engagement, storytelling, and art project based in the artist’s home community of Sunland–Tujunga. The project centers the experiences of community members who have been historically underrepresented in local leadership, overlooked by elected officials, and historically marginalized through exclusionary practices such as racial covenants, sundown policies, and other forms of systemic discrimination. The initiative aims to create spaces that uplift, celebrate, and support these voices while fostering greater connection and visibility within the community.

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As part of the project, Serrano hosted a series of multigenerational community dinners that brought residents together with City of Los Angeles resources and elected officials. Organized in collaboration with local businesses, the dinners also served as storytelling circles where participants shared personal narratives of migration, belonging, and community. Each participant was photographed with meaningful objects of their choice by local photographers Jonathan Jin and Ashley Balderrama, under the artistic direction of Serrano. Recordings of participants’ stories were also collected and edited to accompany the photographic exhibition, creating a layered presentation that paired each portrait with the voice and narrative of the individual portrayed.

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This project was made possible by the California Arts Council's California Creative Corps Artist and Culture Bearer Fellowship.

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