Writing Activities
The following writing prompts were created as a collaboration between the Discover Community in the Borderlands site partners and the University of Arizona Poetry Center. The writing prompts draw on historical and contemporary images as a way of encouraging users to reflect on their own experiences, cultural traditions, and how they, too, are a part of a community.

The Poetry Center is a leading literary institution and a living archive of poetry. As a premier example of a thriving public/private partnership, the Poetry Center connects the University of Arizona with the greater literary community in Tucson and beyond. We have amassed one of the finest and largest print/digital collections of contemporary poetry in America, with an active schedule of acquisitions. We’ve welcomed over one thousand poets to Tucson to read. Our education programs annually serve Arizona school children, college students, and adults with poetry experiences.

Arizona State Museum

Coiled basketry jar, c. 2003, Annie Antone (Tohono O'odham), Arizona State Museum, 2017-160-1

Indigenous basket makers use knowledge of the environment and weaving skills to make a basket. The designs often reflect community values and can tell stories. Going around this basket are social dancers dancing in the Sonoran Desert.

What are the many things that a basket might hold? What types of items and knowledge go into a basket? What stories can it hold? Download printable version here

Borderlands Theater

From the private collection of Bob "Pepe" Galvez. Back row, L to R: Jose Galvez, Sylvia Galvez, Bob "Pepe" Galvez. Front row: Jesus (Jay) Lopez, Lupe Galvez, baby Rosemary. Early 1970s.

"Memories are more than just recollections of past events. They influence the way we see and experience our present. We use memories to construct our origin story, our personal genesis of how we came to be and how our family began. To have an origin story is to be rooted and attached to the place of your creation." - Marc David Pinate Producing Director and Ensemble Member of Borderlands Theater Download printable version here

Chinese History Downtown

Richelieu Cafe 1930s, Arizona Historical Society, Buehman Collection #B29261

The Chinese-owned Richelieu Cafe on Congress Street served as a gathering point for community members from Mexican, Anglo, Chinese, and O'odham communities among others.

What is a gathering place that makes you feel welcome, and where you connect with people from different walks of life?
Why is this place meaningful to you? Describe what it's like to be there using your senses and descriptive imagery. Download printable version here

Dunbar Pavilion

Dunbar School Cafeteria, in basement, prior to building of 1948 cafeteria. Date unknown but likely around 1946.

"Dunbar had no cafeteria until 1948. We either used a classroom to eat our lunches, which we brought from home, or ate them on the playground. The mother of one of Dunbar's students, Mrs. Warrior, cooked a special lunch for the students on Thursdays. She would cook chili beans, cornbread and a salad. Almost everyone loved her chili beans and almost everyone reminded their parents not to make their lunch and would pay their five-to-ten cents for those delicious beans." - Barbara Lewis, Dunbar Pavilion Board Member

What is a food that someone makes — or used to make — for you that you love? write a little bit about it. Download printable version here

Mission Garden

"Challenges of climate change, population growth and water scarcity lead farmers to ask new questions about how to grow food in a changing landscape. Honoring Tucson's diverse community and unique history, "Tomorrow's Garden" will punctuate Mission Garden's Timeline of agricultural plots with a demonstration of sustainable and innovative agricultural practices."


Help imagine Tomorrow's Garden at Mission Garden. How will people grow food in Tucson in the future? Download printable version here

Tucson Chinese Cultural Center

"Kongzhu, or Chinese yo yo, is an ancient performance discipline in Chinese culture. It is well-documented from the 14th Century onward in the courts of the Chinese Emperors and in other locations, including festivals roving from village to village. Traditionally it was called the Empty Bell because of the sounds made during perofrmace; the disc was formed in such a way that it created a whistling sound. Now it is very popular among young Chinese Americans wishing to stay in touch with their traditional culture." - Robin Blackwood, TCCC History Committee Member

What's a game that you're passionate about? Do you think that game is a form of art? why or why not? Download printable version here

Yaqui

"We continue to strive to survive. Rather than live in fear, let's be hopeful. It takes people to make change. When you put your heart into a community your ancestors built, you have to remind yourself how important it is to be Yaqui in these times. We have survived through all the nuances in our adaptation and skills to continue to educate ourselves in this ever changing world. Please celebrate yourself as a Yaqui." –Marta Ygorilla

Think about your identity. What challenges do you have maintaining it? What can you do to ensure your culture is strong into the future?Download printable version here