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Renew
Summer 2026—February 2027
2026 SFA Film Residency, with multi-city in-person experiences and monthly virtual workshops ⟶

Oral Histories

The SFA oral history program documents life stories from the American South. Collecting these stories, we honor the people whose labor defines the region. If you would like to contribute to SFA’s oral history collections, please send your ideas for oral history along with your CV or Resume and a portfolio of prior oral history work to info@southernfoodways.org.

< Back to Oral History project: Comida y Familia: Mexican-American Family Barbecue & Foodways

ORAL HISTORY

Richard Garcia and Lori Pathak

Richard “Rich” Garcia was born in Brownsville, TX. His parents are Sonny and Elvia Garcia and he has an older brother, David and a younger sister, Lori. Rich and his husband, Jeff, live in Dallas, TX. Rich is a retired dentist who completed his undergraduate studies at The University of Texas at Austin and later attended the dental school at The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities, including golfing, boating, and snow skiing.

Lori Pathak was born in Brownsville, TX. Her parents are Sonny and Elvia Garcia and she has two older brothers, David and Rich. She is married to Satyen Pathak, and they have two children, Nicholas and Prya. Lori has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and a Masters in Education. She is a certified Montessori teacher and currently teaches in Mason, OH. She recently moved to part-time employment to allow more time with her family and meet the hectic schedules of activities of her two teenagers.

Date of interview:
2022-06-10

Interviewer:
Cynthia Torres

Photographer:
Cooper Neill and Kaylee Peters

Download Transcript

“

“Well, we came from a very close-knit family although it was not close related. My father was an only child so most of his family, which kind of took the place of siblings, were all his cousins because it was a big family, there were a lot of cousins. They all kind of grew up close in proximity and so they grew up more like siblings than cousins. And so when we came along, they continued that tradition of always socializing together, always having gatherings, always cooking together, and even vacationing together. So what were our cousins were kinda almost like our siblings, as well.” - Richard Garcia

“I think food makes you feel good, depending on what you’re in the mood for. Sometimes you just want that cozy comfort food. Sometimes you want something light, and you want to sit out at the grill and enjoy a lemonade with something. It isn’t anything that we really planned. I think it just came out that way...And so I think it’s just very social. It slows you down with conversation.” - Lori Pathak

Other Project Interviews

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Abby Torrez

Abby Torrez is the cousin of interviewer Cynthia Torres.

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Blanca Torrez

Blanca Torrez is interviewer Cynthia Torres' aunt.

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Corie & Michael Ramírez

Corie Ramírez is interviewer Cynthia Torres' cousin and Michael Ramírez is married to Corie.

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Joe & Lydia Olivares

Joe and Lydia Olivares are interviewer Cynthia Torres' uncle and aunt.

Interview

Joe & Prinisa Benavides

Joe Benavides is interviewer Cynthia Torres' cousin and Prinisa Benavides is married to Joe.

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The Southern Foodways Alliance drives a more progressive future by leading conversations that challenge existing constructs, shape perspectives, and foster meaningful discussions. We reconsider the past with research, scrutiny, and documentation.

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