Pittsburgh Tomorrow Archives - Pittsburgh Quarterly

My story begins in Mexico City. I am the youngest of eight children, and my father passed away from liver disease when I was 11. When someone in your life dies while you are still young, you don’t really understand what’s happening. All I knew was that I saw my father working, and then he …

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Food & Wine Home & Lifestyle Pittsburgh Immigration Pittsburgh Tomorrow

Bringing Spice to Pittsburgh

by Aakanksha Agarwal

In the heart of pittsburgh, amidst its rivers and bridges, a culinary revolution is taking place. It is a revolution of flavors and aromas, carried on the shoulders of immigrants who have brought their cherished recipes from distant lands. What do burritos, General Tso’s chicken and pizza have in common? They are all delectable creations …

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Arrivals People Pittsburgh Immigration

Fighting Through Tears

by Tracy Certo

Grisell Espinoza was in limbo in 2014, wondering whether to stay in Pittsburgh or return to her native Venezuela where political turmoil was getting worse. Her only friend in town, a fellow Venezuelan, helped her get work at a restaurant until she could find a job in her profession as a civil engineer. But as …

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Opinion Pittsburgh Immigration

Pittsburgh Tomorrow

by Douglas Heuck

When I came to Pittsburgh in 1985, it was a great city — the late David McCullough called it “the essential American city.” But it was a great city in shock. The massive industrial economy had collapsed and 150,000 to 200,000 mainly young people were leaving for greener pastures. I expected to stay for my …

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American Spirit Pittsburgh Immigration

Hello Neighbor

by Tracy Certo

Basel Knaineh and Maisaa Jamal Eddin fled their native Syria after Basel was imprisoned — for no reason and with no timeline, he says — at the start of the Syrian War in 2011. He spent a month in jail, frantic and bewildered, before being released as suddenly as he was detained. Desperate, he and …

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Pittsburgh Tomorrow

The Downtown Pittsburgh I Recall

by Joseph Gilkey

I was appalled and then saddened by your recent article, “Wake Up! Time to Save Downtown Pittsburgh.” I haven’t lived in Pittsburgh since 1970 when I completed my doctoral studies at Pitt, but I did grow up in the Pittsburgh area and it is a beloved city to me. I grew up in the foundry …

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Pittsburgh Tomorrow

The Game Plan

by Douglas Heuck

“Anything is possible when imagination and will coincide.” Imagine Pittsburgh in 10 years as a vibrant, multi-cultural hub that has become a beacon for immigrants eager to start a new life in America, work hard, raise a family and get ahead. Imagine if we harness the Pittsburgh diaspora and Pittsburgh becomes the dynamic nexus of …