Anthony Pizana Reflection
Behind our project “Coast to Coast and Cultural Crossroads,” the main motivation was to allow ourselves to delve into the nuances of our cultural identities, each rooted in the diverse landscapes of Texas, California, and New York. Our collaborative effort aimed to bring our distinct perspectives together to weave a narrative that explored the multifaceted roots of Latinidad. In our project, we touched on our personal experiences in the domain of food, education, and our neighborhood/community; not only did this allow us to share our personal experiences being Latino, but also highlight the differences in the way we were raised: What food did our family commonly make? How were the demographics of our high school different from one another? With Ximena and I being Mexican, it was interesting to still see the differences in our daily lives… She introduced many dishes that I had never heard of before, and Elizabeth shared some of the food that her parents make! This project, being so broad, allowed our group to share something that felt important to us, and allowed us to be vulnerable with each other as we reminisced about our unique cultural experiences growing up. Among all of the readings and lectures leading up to the final project, I feel like the talk and concert with Virginia Grise deeply resonated with me, and gave me inspiration for what I was going to talk about in the project. With Grise also being from Texas, it was nice to hear her talk about towns/cities that were familiar to me, and share her perspectives and experiences in those towns; it emphasized how Latinidad has no singular definition, but rather a collection of identities and experiences, unique to each individual. This allowed me to think about how Latinidad varies from state-to-state, and thus, come up with the idea for the final project.
The final exhibit was a powerful event that allowed us to collaborate with our peers, while also learning from one another whether it was from a family recipe, a video presentation, or a podcast viewing. I learned about Argentinian culture by tasting alfajores, learned Ecuadorian culture by tasting Cuy, and learned more about my culture through eating tres leches cake and listening to podcasts. Not only did it inform me of different cultures, the exhibition allowed me to relate to my peers. In particular, “First-Gen Chisme” podcast made me feel not alone in my first-gen journey at Cornell. Coming to a PWI, it is hard to find your community while simultaneously trying to break generational cycles, whether they are in the domain of academics or mental health. Also, the exhibit served as a safe place for individuals of all backgrounds to share their unique thoughts and what is important to them. It was interesting learning about poetry, how Latinx culture relates to the U.S. education curriculum, and the widespread popularity of Latinx music. The Latinx community here at Cornell is small, but it is good to know that we are well connected and support each other.