Independent Component 2

La Plaza: Workshop about murals in L.A. 

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Confirmation Letter

Independent 2 Calendar Log

Literal

“I, Madelene Santizo, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 37 hours of work.” 

For my independent component I volunteered at La Plaza, which is a cultural and art museum located in downtown LA about Mexican-American history in Southern California. I did various things such as tours for different exhibitions, cleaned up exhibitions, helped with art or educational workshops, and did research projects for La Plaza. 

Interpretive

I've demonstrated 31 hours of work for my independent component by taking the metrolink to La Plaza to volunteer at big events during the weekends. Occasionally I would help give tours during the week for elementary students after school, but not as much as I would have liked to because of my school schedule. I had to be trained to become a tour guide so I learned a lot about Mexican-American history in Los Angeles. I have also supported La Plaza when hosting family events like: Cesar Chavez Day, the launch of their culinary art workshop, and La Plaza's 1 year anniversary. Though my independent component did not lead me to any "real product" I have attained more knowledge and made an impact on the lives of those who I shared my knowledge with. 

  Applied

This helped me answer my EQ because I knew that one of my answers would be related to the impact that stereotypes have on academic motivation. However, I was not aware of how this could be solved until I was inspired by what I learned at La Plaza. I saw how many Latinos/as lacked the knowledge of their own culture, and how by going to La Plaza they were learning new things. Seeing exhibitions about The Chicano Movement, Repatriacion, Gente de Razon, etc. really allowed people to see the struggle that their relatives underwent. One of the questions that I ask in the beginning of the tour is, "Do you think that you would pack up your things and leave to a brand new place if you promised a job, but would leave everything behind." A lot of people say they would not because they are not brave enough, but that is what many of the California settlers did. La Plaza really showed me the importance of knowing one's culture through history. That is why I made sure to tie in what I learned at La Plaza with my answer 2. Because of volunteering at La Plaza my best answer is Latinos/as must understand and embrace their Latino/a culture in order to reject stereotypes found in our society that limit their academic motivation and willingness to make a change.