In October, LASA considered storytelling in Los Angeles from temporary historical exhibitions to museums to their own poetic takes on LA.
We started at Union Station to visit ICW’s “Where You Stand: Chinatown 1880 to 1939.” Catching it days before it came down, the students learned about Old Chinatown, family stories, and using augmented reality to connect the past and present. LASA student Carmela reflected, “The Chinatown exhibit at Union Station offers a deep dive into the lives of Chinese immigrants, showcasing their resilience and creativity.” Rina added: “It was my second time visiting Union Station, and this time I learned a lot about its history and significance compared to my first visit. I found it fascinating to see how diverse the station is, connecting people from all over the U.S. Walking through the station, I could almost feel the stories of travelers from different backgrounds. The stunning architecture and historical displays added depth to my understanding, making me appreciate not just the station itself, but also the role it plays in bringing people together and crossing paths with one another.”
LA Plaza curator Esperanza Sanchez welcomed LASA to LA Plaza and gave us a tour of the museum. Her journey to this work and commitment to the space touched all of us. Maritza shared, “My favorite part was seeing the art in the LA Plaza because I really connected to lots of the artwork. Many of the artworks reflected important parts of Mexican culture which was important to me since my Mexican culture has always been important to me and something I’ve always been surrounded by.”
We then welcomed Mike the Poet to share about his work and to lead LASA through some poetry writing exercises. Carmela noted, “His talk encouraged me to see LA through a poet’s eyes, finding beauty in everyday moments and improving my narrative skills.” Some of the students (and teachers) read their poems to us all! Hope, Sam, and Jack S. offered their poems for LASA to share here:
Hope:
My Style is pretty skies and bristled pines
My Style is dark chocolate any time of day
My Style is new recipes and powerful flavors
My Style is hiking to places I’ve never been
My Style is loving my friends
My Style is baggy jeans and a baggy shirt
My Style is a cute top with a floral print
My Style is hiking pants and a colorful fleece
My Style is ice cold lemonade on a hot day
My Style is undiscovered species
My Style is my mom, my home
My Style is soaking every last bit out of life
My Style is hope.
Sam:
Saludos de Estados Unidos a México
Americana o Mexicana
Mi persona es diferente a los demás
A través del charco miro mi hogar
No se parece a ningún otro lugar
Tijuana mi hogar, la ciudad que radia mi doble nacionalidad
Hoy estoy aquí para representar mi cultura
American o Mexicana me orgullo de ser México-americana
Jack S.:
I remember flowers in the horizon,
beautiful, golden, dark
shining in the absence of life
Cara reflected, “I also really enjoyed the poems we heard about Los Angeles as poetry is now a new way that I have learned to express love for my city!”
Thank you to all the students, teachers, Esperanza, and Mike for spending the day at LASA.