"The understanding of a culture comes from hearing the language, tasting the food, seeing personal interactions, experiencing the traditions, and so much more in context."

— Elizabeth Laval & Candice Pendergrass, Sikh Youth Public History Project

"The understanding of a culture comes from hearing the language, tasting the food, seeing personal interactions, experiencing the traditions, and so much more when it is in context."

— Elizabeth Laval & Candice Pendergrass, Sikh Youth Public History Project

War Comes Home: Michelle Dallocchio

Michelle Dallocchio is an Iraq War U.S. Army Veteran and an artist.

Michelle Dallocchio is an artist, author, Chamorro/Mariana Islander, and Iraq War U.S. Army Veteran. As a member in 2004-05 of Team Lioness, an all-female unit that performed house raids and personnel searches in Ramadi, she was among the first US women to officially serve in a combat role.

“How I would want to be welcomed if I could go back in time and s experience things differently? It would have been nice if somebody would have just listened to me.  And I didn’t expect anybody to have answers.  Nobody has answers.  The people who’ve experienced it first-hand have the answers within themselves. You can’t judge or dictate and say, ‘You must have PTSD.  You’re sick.  You’re broken.  You’re this, you’re that,’ and put all these labels on us without asking the person what’s going on.”

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