Catherine’s Reflection
Honestly, I had an incredible time in LSP 2100: Introduction to Latinx Studies. The class was filled with riveting discussions, watching documentaries, attending performances within our Cornell Community, and so much more. This class is unique in the sense that people of all different backgrounds and cultures are welcome to learn about the beautiful culture of America’s marginalized. Latin culture deserves to be celebrated and recognized, inspiring our group project, “Where Credit is Due.” Our work aims to highlight the often-overlooked contributions of Latin individuals to American Society.
It is a common theme for minorities to not receive recognition for their work in America. A notable example is the braceros program and the ongoing reliance on Mexican labor in agriculture. These workers, essential yet underappreciated, endured harsh conditions to perform jobs crucial to our economy. They are at the forefront of many jobs typically labeled as “undesirable,” such as cleaning, and construction, and the list continues.
Furthermore, my group (Marcos, Damien, Marlee, and I) discovered that several popular American dishes originated from Latin America. This shows us a recurring theme of unrecognized contributions, evident across various facets of American culture. Some of the dishes include pumpkin lattes, french fries, acai bowls, Caesar salad, and avocado toast. I absolutely love these foods, and I had no idea where they came from. It was shocking to find out that there were not just “American” foods. To bring the origin of these dishes to light, we conceptualized a restaurant to honor these foods, integral to both Latin American and American cultures. Though not a physical establishment, our vision included a detailed vision board, curated menus, and food samples for attendees to experience.
My role was crafting the vision board, illustrating our concept’s essence, and celebrating the rich legacy of Latin culture in America. The architecture is inspired by Hacienda, characterized by special clay roof tiles and thick, stucco walls, offering excellent protection from the sun. It is common in Mexico and other Latin American countries. It is beautiful as there are large arches. Personally, I did not know anything about Latin American architecture, so it was an interesting learning experience researching different architectural styles. A lot of my designs and collaboration of certain furniture were inspired by Pinterest. I used Canva to create the vision board. It was exciting to envision something that could be possible in the future.
Lastly, it was an amazing experience working with my peers. Brainstorming and stretching our minds to produce a project was extremely rewarding. We worked well together. We were able to coordinate times to meet and meet consistently to put in our best effort into this project. I am writing this the day before the exhibition, and I cannot wait to show off our work to everyone. I am proud of our group and this restaurant!!