De Anda, Jocelyn
February 6, 2012
English 113B
Professor Marca
Los Angeles
The readings from the book Another City gives you the perspectives of multiple people. The
narrators are either Angelinos or they moved to Los Angeles. The writings vary
from poems to stories. Everyone’s interpretations of Los Angeles are different
and some have a little similarity but everyone’s message is different and their
way of communicating it with their audience is unique. Through the readings I have realized different things.
One was how your environment shapes the person that you are. In one of the
chapters there is a boy who likes to listen to Soul Music and because of its environment
and society he has to conform and listen to their style of music. He was a Los
Angeles native and being a Hispanic he didn’t just let his passion for music
revolve around his culture. He was unique in that way but the fact that he
would change his ways to fit in I didn’t find it right for him to do that.
Another chapter would be Los Angeles. The narrator in
this story tells the L.A riots in his perspective. I had never heard the story
through someone that was there, someone that went into the action. He continues
to say that how he is now afraid of African Americans. He became a racist.
Living in a dangerous part of Los Angeles his mentalities had to change and it shaped
him into being a racist person. He wasn’t a racist before. This makes me feel
like I also judge people. Walking through different neighborhoods, depending
the area or how the people look I tend to take out my key chain that hold my
pepper spray just in case I would need it. As when the narrator said he didn’t
like guns but then suddenly wanted to shoot people shows how the environment
changed him. I had never really thought I’d have to carry pepper spray but the
area in which I went to high school had many perverts. They were not shy to
speak their mind. I also would take adult school in which I would walk for an
estimate of eight blocks then id get out until 9 and then walk back about 4
blocks. Most of the time I was alone and felt unsafe, this area was more dangerous.
In my head every guy to me looked suspicious. This point I took matters into my
own hands and for my safety I decided to purchase and carry a pepper spray in
case of any emergency. The where I had to do everyday task made me more aware
and be more precautious. I am glad that to this day I have not have to use the
pepper spray in any situation. Although it gives me a sense of security.
I believe that it’s not only in Los Angles where people change. Crimes happen
everywhere and Los Angeles has been an antagonist in movies and gives an image
of how there is violence everywhere in the city. As a child and watching these
movies I believed them but now that I’m older I see they are not true. They
base this harsh violence on an events that the writers most likely did not
witness themselves. I have been able to explore and see different parts of Los
Angeles. I witness the environment that you live in shapes the person you are.
In my home you could go out take a walk at eleven at night if you desire, but
not where my best friends live. Both live in South Central and they cannot take
a walk at night because they are afraid. They have heard stories and seen what
goes on so their environment. This made them more careful and aware.
The readings have made me aware of other people’s views of Los Angeles. I never had
thought about how people from other countries or states view the city in which
I grew up in and I call it home. I was most exited to learn about the riots. I
had never really been told what happen during the riots. My mother had told me
about them but she wasn’t in the action, she was at home. She was pregnant of
me and would have never even thought of going out into the riots. As I read the
story I pictured it in my head. I wanted to be there. I wanted to be alive and
see what happen, how people reacted and how they took control over parts of the
city.
The readings of Los Angeles display various messages. The message from three of the
chapters assigned have talked about how Los Angeles changed them but they do
not exactly say that. They talk about change and shaping oneself. The messages are discreet and some how they changed.
Along with the reading there where presentation on certain readings. I enjoyed this because I was able to see my classmates view on the readings. The readings are like a painting where different people can have different opinions. They also sparked ideas in which I had not thought about. This interaction was good because we were able to speak of our ideas as well as to agree to disagree and learn a couple of things.