Living la Vida Latina

A Latin community can thrive anywhere and anyway. The language, the culture, and the heritage is passed on from generation to generation, constantly holding on to their roots. The Latin-American culture lives on in everyone's vida through the language, the religion, the music, and most especially, the dance.

Deep within el Barrio, or the hood; el Gringo wouldn't last long here.

Graffiti, as in every low-class areas, thrive through 'artists' (i.e.: rebels, gang members, etc.). Like with every culture, the Latin-American one has a large population of graffiti artists.



Supermercados (Supermarkets) and Carnicerias (Butchers) are common in Spanish communities. When I entered, everyone was speaking in Spanish and the majority of the products were from Mexico. I was entranced with the language for a while that I forgot that I was still in the United States.

Religión is a very important part to the Spanish community. Mostly everyone are Catolicos (Catholics) and often are included in religious practices including: bautizos (baptisms), comuniones (communions), and quincieneras (where a young woman celebrates her 15th birthday).

"Our Lady of Guadalupe Middle School": Guadalupe, or La Virgen de Guadalupe, is an important Mexican icon. She is constantly praised and and prayed to.

La Juventud, or the youth, is another important factor to Spanish families. Being a machismo culture, fathers would prefer to have sons rather than hembras, or a brute way of saying females.

Viva futbol! Soccer is the most popular sport in Spanish countries but is referred to as futbol, as opposed to soccer.

The nightlife for Latinos brings out music, rhythm, dance.

Baila!

Salsa, merengue, samba, and cumbia are a few of the leading dances that never dies in the Latin community. They all differ in styles but all make a room feel alive with energy and warmth as the warm-blooded people let the rhythm take control of their hands, hips, and feet.

Although the Latin community depicted here was mostly the Mexican culture (with easy access due to Mexicantown in Detroit), every culture differs in it's own ways. What keeps every sub-group tied together is the language (except for vernacular), the religion, the music, the dancing, and the warmth.

1st post: English as Official Language

Whether you consider yourself an English-speaking American or an immigrant who speaks one of the 6,800 languages, the vote to nationally set the official language for the U.S. as English impacted everyone greatly. I remember around this time last year, the topic was first introduced to me when taking a Journalism course in High School. Immediately, it troubled me to think that people would want to make one language superior to another in a country that was built on immigrants who spoke in many languages and were from many countries. Although I lost touch on the topic since the media shone less light on this controversy, according to Senate Votes to Set National Language, the Senate overruled it. From a quick overview of the matter, it really stirred up the Spanish community. Although the national language of the U.S. isn't English, I'm almost sure that Michigan made English as it's State Language.

By setting a national language, I believe that it hinders the progression of this country. Language is crucial for business with the world and by making this country a bilingual country rather than a multilingual one, it just halts the communication movement. With Spanish being the most spoken language and Chinese falling shortly behind, it just doesn't seem smart to favor English. English is a popular language and definately used a lot during business meetings, but by setting it as the national language, it takes away the neccessity to learn more languages. Language is important because with language we grow as a culture, with language we learn of other cultures, with language we communicate. Although, I still have a lot to research (or update myself) on, I feel by writing my paper on this topic, I can open other people's eyes on this controversy, and maybe even open my own eyes to things I don't exactly know.

Apart from all that, I want to see how [or if] the ruling of English as being Michigan's official language affected Michiganians. I want to talk to English speakers, Spanish speakers, Chinese speakers, Arabic speakers, etc., and find out their opinion. I need to learn more about this topic because I think it's very important to know why so many people want to officially make English the national language. There's so much more to this topic and hopefully it is as interesting to me as it is to other people.

Peer-review: Photo Essay

Surprisingly the peer-review went really good. I saw so many good photo essays and so far the progress is great! I was a bit ashamed of mine since it's not going down the path that I envisioned in my head. But I'll try again and see if I capture what I really wanted to capture. A lot of topics were focused around homes, but not two were ever the same. It was good to see what everyone else sees, it was as if we were looking through their eyes. Each and every photo essay shows their personal voice. Thank you for everyone's meaningful comments and suggestions.

Progress on 'El Pueblo Mexicano'

Note: So far, I haven't shot the pictures I have really wanted to portray. I had to work during the day every day this weekend. I didn't go out until night time and even then I wasn't brave enough to venture out into El Pueblo. I did manage to go to a Cuban club in downtown Detroit. There were a lot of Latinos and a bit of what I wanted to show is seen through the pictures, but I have more pictures to shoot. Also, I would like make a note that I am considering editing the pictures, maybe even black & white. But I ask, would it take away the color (or life) of my Latincommunity that I'm trying to portray? Here goes nothing:

Living la Vida

A Spanish community can thrive anywhere and anyway. The language, the culture, and the heritage is passed on from generation to generation, constantly holding on to their roots. The Latin-American culture lives on in everyone's vida through the language, the religion, the music, and most especially, the dance.

Salsa, merengue, samba, and cumbia are a few of the leading dances that never dies in the Latin community. They all differ in styles but all make a room feel alive with energy and warmth as the warm-blooded people let the rhythm take control of their hands, hips, and feet.

This is just a rough-rough draft of what I want to portray. Dance is an important part to a latin community, but there's so much more I have to show. This weekend I am planning on going to El Pueblo Mexico with my Argentian and Chilean friends. Hopefully get behind-the-scene exclusive pictures to make my photo essay alive with the latin community. Any suggestions on what you would like to see?

El Pueblo Mexicano

So the topic for my photo essay is the Spanish community in Michigan. I'm thinking about making a trip to el Pueblo Mexicano (except I don't know when I'll be able to--during the day, atleast). I want to portray the Spanish culture within the American culture. I know it's a bit shabby in downtown Mexico City, but within the restaurants is where the language is alive. Within the stores and restaurants is the true culture.

Maybe I can even do a night vs. day comparison of the Spanish community. I really want to show the Spanish community through my eyes, I hope I do good. I just don't know how else I could narrow it down...

Adding Life & Color

Looking through the "Detroit Graffiti" pictures, I guess my opinion on graffiti was different. When I thought of graffiti, I thought of people making statements, not just drawing faces or funky letters. This kind of graffiti is the type that I think gives graffiti a bad name! It makes graffiti a taboo, but when you see the colorful graffiti, the beautiful graffiti, I just don't think it's that bad!

These kinds of graffiti makes the world more colorful. I would love to walk down the street and see all this color, alive with thoughts and artists displaying themselves. I do see this as a form of art, but it's not an art most people condone to. Would graffiti be more acceptable if artists would ask permission before marking the walls? Would it still be art if people had to comform to societies rules and laws?

I think the reason this art is also so tempting (to the artists themselves) is because of how rebellious it is to do it! I don't think it's so bad though, I just wish people would take it as more of an art as opposed to being rebellious and marking a wall with spray cans!

Stories on a Wall

Graffiti is basically a story on a wall. You can't help but to look at it because every seperate 'art' expresses different emotions and feelings. I've seen a lot of good graffiti; it's a way to speak out in a community. If people used graffiti the correct way, I don't think it would be so bad. For instance, graffiti speaking out against the war, against global warming, against animal rights, in my opinion, wouldn't be so bad!

Spring is in the Air

I really really adore this weather. It's definately a bit odd being that it's only the beginning of March and it didn't start to get warm until April last year (barely!) but I'm not complaining. It probably has something to do with Global Warming and while we're praising it people don't really realize that this isn't going to be around for much longer. Snow, snow-angels, snow-fights, a White Christmas! It just makes you think.

Nonetheless, it was nice to go outside and get some sunshine & fresh air. It was nice to see the lawn filled with people. It was nice to be able to walk around without a jacket. I definately could use more of these warm days.

Tara's Last Encounter

I had the urge to read the "most popular" article: The final moments of Tara's life. Although it focused more on Stephen Grant, you couldn't help but to feel sorry for Tara. They were very descriptive with the murder and Stephen's thoughts and actions with hiding the body.

I agree with what my classmate said about it being like "battering a dead horse" being that they just continue to repeat stories. I first caught this story after Brothers & Sisters on ABC and although I only got a few facts, I watched the news the next night and it was the same thing. The helicopters circling the house and the constant picture of the Grants' home where the murder took place.

This article is more grueling than the news I got from Local 7 at 11 p.m. and I symphasize for Tara's soul and her family and children. You really have to think how their children are taking it; there's obviously going to be a long-term trauma with the children and my heart goes out to them. Rest in peace Tara Grant.

I wish...

I really wish I could be traveling right now. Not just Chile, I want to go to Thailand, Greece, Ireland, Japan. I feel like I'm getting old and soon my opportunity to travel will be gone. Even though I'm still 17, I'm just so anxious to explore the world. I started traveling when I was six, but I want to go by myself. And really travel, not just stay in one spot. You learn so much by traveling, more than you could just by reading about it in a book. I would rather spend all my money on traveling, but then I'd be a fool. So I'll be smart about it. Which is why I'm getting a degree. I still wish I was traveling though; I get so bored and anxious staying in one spot.

Summer Plans

I'm getting so anxious for May. As my plans are finalizing, Chile is becoming more and more clear to me, I can almost see it! Mostly all of my family lives in Chile (while others live in Brazil, Australia, and Europe) so I'm excited to see them. I haven't seen them in two years. Not only that, I'll be going for three months. I'll experience the nightlife, but it's not what I'm really looking forward to!
My 22 year old aunt is a pre-med student at the University of Santiago. There are a lot of non-profit programs that have college students volunteer to help unfortunate people. They even have students from other countries come to volunteer. Her and I are going to travel to the south and build homes for less-fortunate people. Poverty is huge all around the world; while it's not as problematic as it is in Africa, it still exists and people still have to act. I'm really looking forward to actually building a home for a family, to bring joy to their lives. A lot of people don't think I can do it (given my petite size and lack of strength) but I think the families will motivate me. I can't wait to succeed and make a difference!