Last semester, I was enrolled in the course History and General Method of Social Work. One of my assignments was to spend the semester researching a culture of my choice. I chose to research the Hispanic-American culture, as there is a large hispanic population where I live, in St. Louis, Missouri. The school district around my house is the most diverse district in the state, teaching mostly Mexican American children and teens. I also have a friend who is Mexican American. My friend grew up in Mexico, and he has told me stories of his childhood that are so different from my own childhood in America.
I was interested to learn of what challenges people of the Hispanic-American culture are faced with daily. I believe my research of the Hispanic-American culture has benefitted me as a future social worker, as I have learned more about this culture and will be able to better serve them in the future.
Below is an example of a resource St. Louis had to offer to help the Hispanic-American population. The DACA Renewal Clinic was held at my former college, St. Louis Community College.
In Mexico, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a holiday celebrated on November first. Because of the holiday, the St. Louis History Museum had a special exhibit going on to honor it on November 4th and 5th. I went to the exhibit on Sunday, November 5th. It was packed with a diverse group of people of all ages. Initially, I thought Day of the Dead was the same thing as Halloween. However, I learned that while Halloween is a holiday that usually creates fear of the dead, Day of the Dead is a celebration honoring the deceased. At the exhibit, there was a room full of altars for Hispanic-American people who have died in the St. Louis area. Below is a picture of one of the altars:
The picture below is of an authentic Hispanic meal. In St. Louis, there is a street called Cherokee Street, which is a street primarily consisting of Hispanic restaurants and is rich with Hispanic culture. The restaurant I went to is called La Vallesana, which in translation means “the valley.”
Below is a link to the powerpoint I created of my experiences while researching the Hispanic-American culture in St. Louis, Missouri:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7a51hu28fq7r4ze/Hispanic-American%20culuture%20powerpoint%20.mp4?dl=0
Nicole 