250 stories. 250 years. One nation, still becoming.

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To mark America's 250th anniversary, Story of US is collecting 250 personal stories from individuals across the country. Each one reflects a family's journey, an identity, and what belonging in America has meant. Together they form a living portrait of the nation at its milestone moment.

No nation begins as a certainty.

It begins as a bet.

Two hundred fifty years ago, a small group of people bet that ordinary citizens could govern themselves better than any king. It was not a safe bet. It is still not finished. But the bet held, and word of it traveled: that where you start does not have to determine where you end. That belonging could be built, not just inherited.

Read the whole story of the bet

250 stories to collect

250 years of America

50 states to reach

31 of 250 collected so far, from 5 states. The portrait is just beginning.

Every dot is a person.

Stories land on the map where their tellers live, city by city, state by state. Follow a dot far enough and it becomes a family, a kitchen, a language, a life.

Laguna Niguel, California New York City, New York Denver, Colorado New York City, New York New York City, New York Flushing, New York Manhattan, New York Irvine, California Irvine, California Pasadena, California Yorba Linda, California Worcester, Massachusetts New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York Henderson, Nevada New York, New York New York, New York Long Island, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York New York, New York Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Flushing, New York Long Island, New York Long Island, New York Long Island, New York

Explore the full map

Not one story told 250 times.

250 different stories that happen to share an address. A few of them, first.

Story #1 of 250

Charlie Zhang

Laguna Niguel, California · Entrepreneur and former restaurant CEO

“If there's one thing I'd want someone reading this to take with them, it's this: hardship doesn't have to become bitterness. It can become the very thing that builds you.”

Story #2 of 250

Lu Hong

New York City, New York · Artist and painter

“If there's a single thread running through all of it, it's this: I never let anyone else's judgment of me become my judgment of myself. Whatever they called me — black five cate...”

Story #3 of 250

Benji

Denver, Colorado · Founder and educator

“My story, in the end, isn't really about any single identity I settled into. It's about a man who kept learning new languages, literal and otherwise, and discovered that fluency...”

Story #4 of 250

Chang Xinli

New York City, New York · Fitness studio owner and former professional athlete

“It's never too late to start investing in your health. I've built an entire second career, in a second country, in a second language, around that one belief. There's no other in...”

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