MCC students explore culture of Los Angeles
Roman Chacon
On Nov 5, Multicultural Services are taking forty-five students from four MCC clubs on a three-day cultural and historical tour of Los Angeles.The clubs embarking on this journey are M.E.Ch.A, the Black Student Union, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition and the Inter-Tribal Students Organization.
Nina Robinson, Director of Multicultural Affairs, explained that the first day will be spent touring the ethnic neighborhoods of central Los Angeles.
“It’s the older part of Los Angles and it has a lot of rich cultural history,” she said.
She stated that students will be visiting La Placita Olvera, one of the oldest parts of the city and an enclave for Hispanic culture, for shopping and authentic cuisine.
Ontonio Ballard, adviser for the Black Student Union in Multicultural Services, said, “it’s a huge cultural experience with traditional food, traditional dancing and clothing.”
“We will also be going to Little Tokyo and possibly Chinatown for a bit of the Asian cultural experience,” Ballard continued, “in Arizona the Asian culture isn’t as prominent. it’s a good thing for students to learn about.”
Robinson stated that on Sunday, the students will be visiting the Museum of Tolerance, a museum that documents the events of the holocaust and struggles of minorities in America.
“They have reports on hate crimes, reports on genocide.
“It’s so that our students can find out this isn’t just something that happened a long time ago, it’s something that is still going on to this day,” Robinson said.
Robinson pointed out the struggles the LGBT community has gone through in recent years as an example of the prejudice that still permeates in America even in 2010.
“We hope. (students) come back with a great appreciation and awareness of things certain groups have had to go through and the adversities they’ve had to overcome,” Robinson said.
Ballard stated that he thinks the museum will be the most important part of the trip.
“Most students know what the holocaust was but don’t realize the magnitude of it. The museum is intended to be a four hour experience in all,” Ballard said.
Ballard stated that the overall purpose of the trip is for the students to gain better cultural understanding and acceptance.
He stated that he feels this trip will expand the students’ cultural horizons and help some realize their biases against certain groups are unfounded.
Robinson pointed out that the trip can also inform students on their own culture.
“A lot of students don’t know their own history, let alone the history of another group of people,” Robinson said.
The trip was paid for by the Multicultural Services Department primarily.
Some monies were allocated from the ASMCC Student Activities Account, while the club members themselves will cover the remainder of the expenses.
The trip won’t all be cultural excursions; they will also be making a stop by Six Flags Magic Mountain on Saturday.
