Shawty Lo

In the early 1940’s inhabitants of Los Angeles experience widespread tension and conflict that ultimately led to the Zoot Suit riots. During WWII, Southern California was a vital military outpost with stations scattered from San Diego through Los Angeles, resulting in thousands of active servicemen deployed in the area. Along with these social tensions come the influence of jazz music that developed into a rich culture that flourished throughout Los Angeles area (PBS). Big band and swing music…

Emilio Estevez is the director of the movie called “The Way”. This movies can be compared with the book the “Great Divorce” written by C.S Lewis, who respond to a poem by William Blake by saying that heaven and hell, good and evil, they need to be separated from each other to claim justice. First, the main character on the movie is Tom, in France he meets an officer who takes him to recognize his son’s body. Tom tells to the officer that he will finish his son’s journal. The officer says…

From roughly 1870 - 1900, the United States expanded into the American West from to a so-called “Geography of Hope”. This move West was sparked mainly by the concept of the Manifest Destiny. This essentially gave people the idea that the act of moving West was both essential and inevitable. Some advancements that made the move easier and more accessible were the railroads and overland trails. There was also the drive that moving West would fulfill one’s life with opportunity and would…

The MS-13 gang, well known as Mara Salvatrucha 13, is one of the most organized and violently dangerous gangs in the United States. The gang was established in the 1980, in the predominately Spanish speaking parts of Los Angeles, initially starting off with refugees who were in nature calm and in control. However, some Mexican immigrants began their power guiding and controlling these individuals into an underworld organization, which quickly began to harden the individuals. Once this occurred…

Hispanics in California Ever since California first became a state in 1848 it has been a major gateway for immigrants, making it an incredibly diverse state. As of today, California is home to more Latin immigrants than any other state in America, including several members of my own family. Hispanic immigrants have hugely impacted California from economics all the way to art and entertainment. Seeing the several contributions that Hispanics have made to our state makes me incredibly proud…

The film Freedom Writers incorporates various elements of intercultural communication that were discussed throughout the semester, which is why I chose to analyze this film and focus on how the concepts discussed in this course are portrayed in the film. This film is centered on gangs and racial tensions so many elements of intercultural communication are touched upon and integrated into the central theme. Three major issues I chose to examine in this film were the concepts of co-culture,…

In 1893, Historian Frederick Jackson Turner expressed his feeling on the frontier thesis. He explained that the frontier influenced the American culture by promoting individualistic democracy. “The frontier,” he asserted, "is the line of most rapid Americanization." He also expressed that expansion to the American West changed people’s view of their own culture. The western frontier, however, did not appear to be what it seemed like. Turner described in his frontier thesis that the West was a…

Matt Roche and Jaimie Warren Too are a duo which created the show “Whoop Dee Doo!” This show is a live show for kids. The show “Whoop Dee Doo!” balances art, humor, and entertainment while providing those involved a creative outlet. The show utilizes its space to create a different world which is what the content of the show is based on. In the specific segment I watched, the duo picked a space and had ten days to transform it into their vision. They collaborated with high school students to…

Throughout the several hundred years in America’s history we have become a nation through western expansion, it has helped forge and pave the way of the American culture we know today. Throughout western expansion, famous explorers including but not limited to, Lewis and Clark, contributed to the growth of the country as a whole, as well as contributing to the result in steady progression of industrialization, territorial gain, and both economic and social prosperity throughout the country.…

January 17th, 1994. For many people in this country, it was just a day to commemorate a federal holiday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day . However, to the communities of southern California, it was a day that would change their lives forever. The Northridge earthquake, although given the name of Northridge, was centered in the San Fernando Valley. The earthquake, which happened at 4:31 a.m, had a magnitude of 6.7 and it was felt in places such as Baja California and Las Vegas. This earthquake made…