Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84Port fol io American Stories J O H N N O L T N E R Frustrated with the world’s focus on what sepa- rates us, I set out to use my photography and journalism to explore the common humanity that connects us. Over three years, I drove forty thousand miles across the United States, asking people, “What does peace mean to you?” It’s a simple question, but one that quickly gets to the core of who we are as human beings and what we value as a society. It opens the door to conversations about our greatest hopes and deepest fears. It leads to dialog about race, gender, faith, justice, conflict resolution, civic responsibility, and social change. In each case, we sat down for an hour- long recorded interview, and then I took the person’s portrait. The results are shared in a book, A Peace of My Mind: American Stories, in a podcast, and in a traveling exhibit. I inter- viewed people from many backgrounds and walks of life, but in the following pages I’d like to introduce you to a few of the first-generation immigrants I met, who have each made this nation of immigrants a better place. Certainly there are problems in the world that could put us at odds and turn us into enemies. But what if we shifted that focus? What if we emphasized the beauty and good in one another? What if we celebrated examples of positive change? What if we simply took the time to listen to one another?  ■ John Noltner, a Minnesota-based freelance photographer for national magazines and Fortune 500 companies, founded A Peace of My Mind in 2009. Visit apomm.net to learn more. Above, César, an undocu- mented Mexican immigrant, crossed the border on foot at age sixteen. Photographs courtesy of John Noltner