Yuma residents come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Partly because the community is located at the border with Mexico, the majority of residents are Hispanic. Also, the large airbase contributes to the diversity by welcoming Marines from all over the U.S. and its territories, like Guam or Puerto Rico, to their new home.

Another vital group that adds to Yuma's diverse culture is the "snowbirds," the affectionate term for those people who vacation in or move to a warmer climate during the cold-weather season.

Why choose Yuma to live in during the winter months? Yuma is Arizona's warmest city and is often referred to as the sunniest in the world. According to The Weather Channel website, Yuma's average winter weather does not dip below 69 degrees, making it a comfortable vacationing site.

According to Snowbirdsdestinations.com, there are more than 60 RV resorts for snowbirds to reside in, and because of the sudden influx of winter visitors there are more than 1,000 more RV resorts being established.

Yuma has more than 90,000 full-time residents, but during the winter season an astounding 300,000 people drop in to visit. The easy access of Interstate 8 for travelers just passing through is one reason we have so many visitors each year.

Now most of the snowbirds who visit Yuma are from an older generation known as the Baby Boomers. Their presence is made obvious when they shop at retail stores, go on hikes and drive the local roads.

They give a sense of another time, quite simply because they are from another time. The stories they provide and antiques they sell downtown give Yuma a flavor of how times used to be.

Graphic by Pam Black