What Makes Us Country?

When people hear of country, it’s like they picture trucks, rodeos, line-dancing, and red-necks. They picture a hostile unwelcoming environment mirroring the climate of the swamp. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good line-dance and I know every lyric from Jordan Davis to Luke Combs. However, I don’t think that’s what country is about. I think that is a misconstrued idea that has been developed over the years through movies and books. At the end of the day, Country isn’t a style of clothing consisting of boots and a Stetson, it is a lifestyle. Traveling to Baton Rouge and Lafayette after reading the Moviegoer, I was able to see clearly how country was about simplistic living.

For me, I was able to witness on this trip that at the heart of country was community through the small towns we visited. This sense of community in which people treat each other as family. A lifestyle in which it is custom to wave to every person you see and to invite visitors into your home.  In St. Martensville, I witnessed how a client at Subway saw an older citizen walk in and paid for their meal out of respect. In Point Coupee, we saw and heard about how Sheriff Renee knew all the citizens in his parish. In Lafayette, we were invited to Tom’s Jam and were greeted with great hospitality to the point that he taught us to play and dance to Cajun music with his own instruments despite his illness. This kindness even extended to the big bad city, that was unique in the sense that it still had country elements. Every Morning and Afternoon, I was greeted by Todd, Kevin, and Paul; whom would ask about my day. They would spend almost an hour talking to me about how I feel, showing how much, they cared for us as a group despite not knowing us for a long time. Kevin even had bought me a Gatorade once because it was a hot day. All three expressed, how they didn’t really get paid for this, but they did it anyways because it was their pleasure.

It is a lifestyle in which this sense of community is more than enough. People aren’t looking for a luxurious house, they are looking to spend time with their loved one’s dancing and singing on a Sunday afternoon. At Tom’s Jam, I had the opportunity to have two eye-opening conversations about life. The first was with this girl named Janice, and the second was with the photographer. Janice talked to us about how she had this whole successful life in San Francisco, however, she was unhappy with “city life” not allowing her to enjoy the little things that life has to offer. She told us how although Lafayette is completely different, she was happier and felt a sense of belonging. She was happier that she knew her neighbors from down the street, and how people in the community would check in on each other. In terms of my conversation with the photographer, he discussed how he would always do things in life for others, however, through his lifestyle now he was able to finally live describing his adventures as a scuba diver, photographer, and piolet.  He urged us young folks to not get caught up in the haste of things in trying to achieve that luxurious status, saying how by the end we should say that we have nothing to regret. This made me reflect on conversations I had with my parents. My parents grew up in the rural countryside of Guatemala, and in moving to the United States we didn’t have much. Yet, they would always say to me how despite not having much, we were happy because we always had each other. It was something that didn’t resonate until I was alone at college trying to seek that degree. There were moments in which I was unhappy despite pursuing my passion because all I wanted was a hug from my parents

Country is a healthy lifestyle that teaches you the importance of simply having loyalty and family around. I think that as a class group, we got to experience that through this trip. None of us knew each other at the start of this trip, yet that didn’t stop us from caring about one another. Even in the bad moments such as being locked out in the sun, we were content. For one instance, in Grand Isle we had nothing but each other and Alex despite knowing him for merely two days prepared my dinner because my hand was cut.  We also learned on this trip, to talk and be kind to strangers which is something that isn’t taught in the city. In going back, I know that I need to be more country and learn to appreciate my surroundings in my daily life more. Overall, being country shouldn’t be looked down upon rather it should be embraced and incorporated into the haste of city life.

Remembrance

Memorial Day Remembrance Flags at New Capitol Building

As someone raised in Florida, I was taught growing up to respect our fallen soldiers through a sense of remembrance and pride during patriotic holidays such as Memorial Day. It wasn’t until I got to USC, that I realized there were people in the United States that voluntarily chose to not recognize these holidays. It is something that bothered me deeply and still does because I have close friends in the military. I remember I was once having a conversation with someone about this subject in Los Angeles and asked their reasoning behind boycotting these types of holidays. In response to my question, she said that she “refused to celebrate because of all the damage this country has done”. Questioning her, I said “what about the fallen soldiers who died protecting our freedoms”. She remained firm in her belief saying that it didn’t matter. It was then that I realized that most people in this country view things as either black or white instead of grey.

Traveling throughout the state of Louisiana, I have noticed that there is a strong sense of remembrance. In every city that we have visited, I have found memorials commemorating the citizens who have died while deployed. Even in the small town of St. Martensville, you could find marble pillars dedicated towards the service of the U.S. Navy & Army near the old Evangeline Oak. Seeing these memorials throughout and simultaneously reading the Moviegoer, I had present in my mind the trauma our soldiers faced. This trauma that was never ending even after they returned home, as we read through the life of Binx whom despite returning displayed PTSD. For me it is sad that this noble line of work cannot be recognized because it is viewed as political since historic individuals such as Andrew Jackson or Robert Lee have committed atrocities.

Overall, we witnessed through A Lesson Before Dying, how the past can be inescapable. I think this is an issue that currently plagues the south. I remember how people in Los Angeles were disgusted to learn that I voluntarily chose to vacation in places such as Tennessee and that I was interested in visiting Louisiana including the countryside rather than just the party city of New Orleans. People would tell me that these places were racist and that as a result they weren’t beautiful. However, based off my experience, I think the opposite is true.  In comparison to the hostile city life in Los Angeles, I think that the people of the south are much more approachable. They are learning from their history and learning to embrace diversity and inclusion. In Louisiana, we have experienced that “Southern hospitality” or kindness and warmth throughout our stay. A prime example is how we were able to meet the Sheriff and Mayor of Pointe Coupee.  We had just pulled up to the courthouse to explore the jail cells when the sheriff stepped out of his meeting to greet us, giving each of us an individual handshake. He later made some calls and booked us a party boat on the False River despite just meeting him that day.  Personally, after living in Los Angeles for four years, I have never experienced this kind of hospitality. Yet, it is interesting to note that many of my classmates felt bothered because when meeting these fine people, we were in a room with a Blue Lives Matter Flag. In Los Angeles, these banners symbolize racism. In Pointe Coupee however, these flags were worn by black people and stand for community policing as in befriending the neighborhood sworn to protect which is a different take on the matter.

I feel that if anyone from California would of saw those banners first without meeting the people of Pointe Coupee, would have immediately written them off as bad people because of this ideal established from history that the south is this bad place. I think it’s interesting that even one of the administrators that we met mentioned how “Hollywood doesn’t portray southerners in this way”.  I think we are at a unique point in time in which the South is not only recognizing Injustice but facing responsibility and trying to change the narrative.  We witnessed it in New Orleans, in which we saw the empty pillar where Robert Lee once stood. We also witnessed it as the Whitney Plantation, which was one of the most touching experiences on this trip.

Whitney Plantation Memorial

What was unique about the Whitney Plantation was that it was refurbished to commemorate the lives of the enslaved people of the Louisiana area. It didn’t hide the history, but acknowledge the crimes committed.  It showed the slave quarters and cages in which enslaved people were auctioned in. It even had an art exhibition showing the beheading of those who choose to riot against the system. I was deeply moved by the experience, and it gave me that same feeling of remembrance as experienced in memorials. After all, the act of slavery was a war against humanity and deserves more tributes to be dedicated towards it. In debriefing our experience, some of my classmates brought up the fact that there was a couple who took pictures of the beheading memorial installation, questioning why they would do that and how they viewed it as wrong. In my mind, I was wondering why we had to stay silent about the memorial; why was it wrong that we took a picture of this installation if we could use it to educate others about its significance extending its reach. How come for other memorials that was acceptable but for this one it was not?

Video showing exhibition of Huey Long Speech at the Old Capitol Building

For me it is sad to see that patriotic holidays or memorials such as the Whitney are viewed in a political light. In my opinion, it shouldn’t be that way because at the end of the day it is about recognizing and remembering the people affected. For me, I think that is what memorial day is about. I think it is about reflecting, reflecting on our wrongs and our rights. It is equally about remember the enslaved as it is war. I think that’s what I found fascinating in learning about Huey Long’s platform.  The Kingfish was a leader in the Louisiana territory because he was focused on the people and believed that was where the power lied.  In walking through his exhibit at the Old Capital Building in Baton Rouge, I was able to hear one of his speeches in which he touched upon the absurdity of the party system in the United States. Long’s belief mirrored that of which Thomas Jefferson warned about: that our nation would be focused on which party was in power rather than on the people. This speech really resonated because the Kingfish was described as a mixture of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, and it was evident why. Through this speech, I realized that we as a nation need to learn to come together and talk about situations rather than focus on if this is a left or right viewpoint because at the end of the day the world is grey and how would we progress if we cannot acknowledge this. We should be proud to be a part of a nation who has made progress, but also just because we are patriotic doesn’t mean we have forgotten that there is still work to be done.

More than Just Music

“I am not sure but I’m almost positive that all music came from New Orleans”

— Ernie K Doe, Emperor of the Universe

In reading Coming Through a Slaughter, I didn’t quite comprehend how Buddy’s music was so unique that it couldn’t be recreated. However, upon being in New Orleans I now understand, how the genius of the music in Louisiana can only be understood in the details found in the experience of listening. From the last couple of days, I have learned through the experience of listening that the music in New Orleans reflects the people. It reflects their resistance, their history, and their essence.

What makes the music so different in New Orleans, is that it touches your soul. Walking through the city, you hear music all around you. The people you pass, all have a sense of joy which is unique as city life is often viewed as taxing.  From my experience, living in the city of Los Angeles the past couple of years, the citizens don’t have that particular spark which is found here. That spark that is contagious and changes your mood through just walking by it. Overall, based of my experience in New Orleans, it is a city that is unique in the sense that it has a welcoming aura that manifests itself with strangers coming up to say hi on the street or through members of the community expressing how we are all a part of their family; inviting you to join in on their celebrations despite just meeting.  I have never experienced this view on life in any other city that I have traveled to.  

The people of New Orleans have experienced so much in the last couple of years, that it’s hard to believe that they have any reason to celebrate. For example, at the Hurricane Katrina exhibit at the Presbytère, I was shocked to learn that the people of New Orleans still hosted Mardi Gras parades shortly after, despite the mass destruction. I expected that the people to be crushed and sad. Instead, they were celebrating life. It sort of reflected a feeling of gratitude that they were alive rather than the atmosphere of compliant and stress that is experienced in cities such as Los Angeles. What really resonated with me in this exhibit is an interview shown of a citizen of New Orleans. In this interview, she explained that in hosting the parades after Katrina, it symbolized hope for the community; that they as community will not be washed away. With the saying “This is our city” being said in such musical celebrations. This particular exhibit made me realize how the music created in New Orleans was more than just an artistic melody but rather it is a beautiful representation of resilience. It changed my perspective in music but also in life. It showed me that the beauty in the creation of music, is that it teaches us that we as a society, need to be more appreciative of the little things we have and have achieved.

Moreover, during our stay we had the opportunity to witness the Second Line parade of the social club, Money Wasters. I had never experienced, a parade such as this particular one. It was a parade that could be best described as full of life. There were people dancing on roofs and with their pets. But perhaps the most prominent feature of the second line parade, was the saying on their banner, “DAMN if we do, DAMN if we Don’t”. For me this reflected, the history of the second line parade. It acknowledges the West African culture robbed from the enslaved people that founded the city; showing that their essence as a culture still remains. It also showed how to be together in shared spaces, dancing together, rubbing shoulders in the middle of the action alongside the band playing, or walking at the edges meeting new and old friends. It was profound in the sense, that the joy expressed in these parades showed that it is possible to create a unified and inclusive society.

The music created in New Orleans, literally cannot be recreated anywhere else as it is a reflection of the city itself. The city has many monuments reflecting its association to music, commemorating the good and bad times the city has faced. It even reflects the blend in culture that exist in the city. One example is Congo Square in which bands from New Orleans currently come together on Friday afternoons to play. This is symbolic of the square’s origins of being a universal sharing platform for the enslaved people.  This is similar to the development of the jazz scene that is still prevalent through the city. As deciphered in Coming Through a Slaughter, jazz represented a way in which individuals and groups could gain recognition, self-worth, and respect in the tremulous 1900s.

If you listen to the Jazz Bands on Frenchmen or go to Preservation Hall, you could still feel that sense of proudness to be New Orleans through the music. One of my favorite music experiences in New Orleans has been at Preservation Hall. What is unique about Preservation Hall is that it focuses on preserving the musical traditions that founded the city. With witnessing the performance at Preservation Hall, I realized the uniqueness in their mission. It wasn’t about preserving the traditions but rather the resilience of the African slave influences and the immigrant influx faced by New Orleans. For me, I felt it reflected one mixed culture rather than all the entities that influenced the genre; it represented my view on hearing the word diversity. What is special about the city is that these ideals expressed through the music are reflected even through the clubs on Frenchmen and Bourbon. Hearing a salsa interpretation of jazz through the Brass Band at 30/90 on a Friday night, it made me feel represented. However, it also made the person right next to me of African Descent also feel represented. This is something, I never have observed elsewhere.

The music of New Orleans is a representation of what society could be if we leave race and social classes behind: unified & joyful. I never felt so inspired and touched by music as I have in New Orleans, nor do I feel I will be inspired anywhere else as the music produced here has been a byproduct of the experiences faced. At the end of the day, I feel that we can all learn important lessons from the details in New Orleans Music.

Street Performers

Second Line Parade

Money Wasters Parade Banner

Preservation Hall

Jazz Artwork found at the Historic New Orleans Collection

An Architectural Fossil

5.23.2022

For me, this trip has served to restore my passion towards my career. You see, I have always held a certain fascination with architecture since I was young. However, through my undergraduate studies I felt a disappointment with how commercialized design has become; questioning my passion. As an architectural engineer, I doubted my purpose in joining a course like this one focused on culture and history. Yet, through my time here I have realized that it is all interconnected, inspiring me with designs that reflect humanity.

Grand Isle Stilt Homes

When studying architecture, you always hear about Italy or most European countries; Louisiana is nowhere to be found in these discussions. But in my opinion, it ought to be. Through our stay in the Pelican state, I have realized that architecture is more than just aesthetics; it tells a story. This understanding all started through our ventures in Grand Isle in which I questioned the houses on stilts which reflect the people’s resistance to the geographic storm surge suffered by the region. These stilts tell visitors a story of resistance that many across the United States would not understand. 

There is something interesting about Louisiana architecture as a whole despite the many differences throughout the state. These differences can be more visibly observed when traveling inwards toward New Orleans. Throughout the journey, you can see a shift in residence styles through the bayou that illustrate the harsh conditions in the wetlands. Continuing inland, the architectural shift shows the progress of engineering and development through the levees that surround the Mississippi; creating the illusion of floating ships as described in the novel, Interview with a Vampire. Yet, all these architectural differences showcase the common experiences of the Louisiana People.

Map of New Orleans showing its resemblance to a crescent

The Shop which was a refurbished Ice Cream Factory turned studio space.

This is even more prevalent in the city of New Orleans, in which the architecture appears timeless as a sort of relic or fossil of the past. Walking through the streets, you get this feel of decay that adds a sense of realism to the historic accounts being told. Even with visiting the Shop, you can learn about the history of Ice Cream development in the early days through its members. With every corner you turn and every step you take in this city, it is almost as if another story is being revealed. With just walking, you can sort of feel the pathway revolving around the river giving a clue that this city has always thrived on being a port. This is what has led to the nickname “Crescent City'', as the grid resembles this sort of shape as a result. You could also observe the scattered bricks on the roads giving age to the city and on the sidewalks you can see name tiles on the floor or wall posts showing the different ownerships of New Orleans over time.

Moreover, if you walk towards the corner of Jackson Square you have the Pontabla Apartments which not only serve as a beautiful relic but showcase Micaela’s feminism in a period in which real estate and business were dominated by men. In this same plaza, we can find the Cathedral that serves as the tallest building in the quarter alluding to the reconstruction period of the United States after the Civil War and can still serve as a representative piece of the progress we have yet to make as a country. In a different corner of the city, we have the shotguns of the Tremine that architecturally speaking are symbolic and air a resemblance to the see-through layouts of the Slave Cabins that can be viewed in the Whitney Plantation.

Wall Post showing how New Orleans was once under Spanish Rule

Comparison of Slave Cabin to Shotgun

Meanwhile, in another part we have the Central Business District that mirrors that of wall street. Preservation Hall on the other side of town serves as a remnant of the early development of jazz. We also have the creole townhouses of the quarter that are an architectural testament to the modern fusion of Spanish and French cultures in New Orleans as visible on the detailed metal work of the balconies. The balconies in itself tell a story and give an appearance of interwoven vines frozen in time. Sometimes, it can be observed as you are walking through the city that these balcony patterns are tangled with flowers, leaves, and other motifs from nature. For me, the infused plants add a sense of elegance and remind me that as humans we often forget that our lives depend on nature even through industrialization. I know that through my residence in Los Angeles, I have felt depressed because of that disconnect with green spaces in the architectural style. So I can imagine that these plants are one of the many reasons that the citizens of New Orleans are often viewed as full of life.

Metalwork of balconies in French Quarter featuring plants

Lastly, we have the historic mansions of the garden district that reflect traditional ideals of southern elegance and privilege. Most of the houses in these areas have plaques that almost serve as a visual representation of the area being a living, breathing museum. Most of the houses in this area are composed of the Greek Revival style, featuring grand white Corinthian and Ionic Columns. It is almost as if this style was purposefully chosen to demonstrate power as many of the owners of these houses were slave owners. Walking through this district, you can almost feel the wealth through the detailing of either the facade or gate in which some houses had carved stone animals reminiscent of family seals similar to Game of Thrones. The roofs of these homes can also be observed to be shaped differently which can be attributed to the fact that they were designed for the comfort of white wealthy plantation owners. This area is also home to the famous Buckner Mansion that was featured as the home of a coven of witches in American Horror Story. However, in reality this mansion was owned by a cotton king-pin named Henry Sullivan Buckner and features an inscription on the floor surrounding education and color which is ironic considering the history of the mansion. 

Buckner Mansion in Garden District

Overall, through my personal exploration of New Orleans I would like to compare the city  to that of a Vampire. Vampires are immortal, yet they have a sense of decay to them. This city has developed throughout the years, yet, the past has remained prevalent. It's almost as if the city looks young but feels old. Observing how the architecture in New Orleans embodies its  history reminds me of a quote in Coming through a Slaughter that touches upon ice being remnants of the Ice age. For me, New Orleans Architecture showed me that architecture is an artform that should be about capturing the essence and experiences of a society to live through the ages.

“As if everything in the world is the history of Ice”

— Coming Through a Slaughter

The Feeling of Travel

5.17.2022

Don’t get me wrong I have always loved to travel; the thrill of exploring new things that are unfamiliar is my adrenaline. I have been to several places from France to Spain and it is the reason that I choose to move across the country for college. However, this trip to the Louisiana territory has had a unique feeling to it, that is different from the other trips I have taken in the past. Having spent the first few days on the island of Grand Isle, I was really able to reflect on the aspect of chapters in life and the meaning of travel. Reflecting on my first two days of travel, I felt isolated and far away from my loved ones. Part of this is because I had graduated the day before our departure. Reading the Awakening, I realized that although I consider myself as independent, I thrive on social interaction with those close to me and unlike Edna who finds life in Grand Isle; I have found sadness in a sense in these first couple of days.

Places I have traveled, so far

Comparison of Landscapes: Everglades on the top and the Bayou pictured on the bottom.

Being at Grand Isle, the landscape, the climate, it reminds me much of home in Florida. It reminds me that I only got to spend two days with my parents for graduation despite not seeing them in awhile. It reminds me of how despite saying that I have never experienced homesickness since moving to USC, it can happen to the best of us even if we consider ourselves as independent beings. Just the thought of being surrounded on this trip with strangers from diverse backgrounds, who would hopefully become my friends after getting to know them, flashes me back to when I first met my closest friends at SC. Those same friends that would be scattered across the world upon my return from this venture since we have graduated and that implies that nothing would be the same. Those memories and experiences of familiarity that I could not hold onto for a little longer due to the timing of this trip, just as Edna couldn’t hold onto her first experiences with Robert in The Awakening. Even if I could travel back to Los Angeles right now some of those friends would already be gone into their next chapter. Making it different to how I remember my experiences at SC before graduation, similar to the indifference Edna faced by Robert upon his return from Mexico.

Graduation Picture with my closest friends in Los Angeles, CA

Exploring the island on this trip, I just see destruction everywhere; reminding me of the fact that life can change abruptly from one second to the next. To me it symbolizes that travel isn’t always pretty. It shows us that it can be uncomfortable and that it can hurt. These first days of travel showed me that a hobby that I thought to thoroughly enjoy had the capability to break my heart. To be in Louisiana, I had to sacrifice celebrating graduation with my closest friends on Saturday and I may never get that chance since our group is splitting to different regions of the world, making our reunion to be unknown. For me finding my group at SC took awhile, and this trip reawakened that feeling of terror that I felt at SC when I couldn’t sense if I belonged somewhere.

Grand Isle destruction from Hurricane Ida

Dead Sharks

However, they say destruction can be a symbol of rebirth. In Grand Isle, remnants of piers from the hurricane have served as a crab birthing spot, and houses in the island are being reconstructed signifying strength. Yes, travel can be uncomfortable. But, that's okay as the journey should change you. It leaves a mark on your memory, consciousness, heart and body. It is this unpleasant feeling that allows you to grow. For me, this trip serves as a transition. It is helping me to prepare for my life in Boston in the upcoming months, in which I would be all alone again in an unfamiliar territory with complete strangers again. The experiences in Grand Isle these past days helped our group to bond in my opinion, and today for the first time in a while I felt as if I made new friends as we were swimming in the ocean. I had gotten so used to being in a single friend group in the past couple of years that I forgot how to make new ones. If I do admit, it is this terror that drove me on our first beach day to venture off by myself, making  friends with a crab instead. Reflecting, It is better that I get out of my comfort zone now whilst doing something I love than in the fall with a master thesis looming over my shoulders.

Death can be beautiful to reflect upon. Through our exploration, we witnessed a pair of dead sharks washed upon the shoreline. Upon seeing this, I was immediately further saddened because of my deep admiration for oceanography and marine life that was instilled due to my Floridian upbringing. However, this discovery made me reevaluate my stay here at Grand Isle. For starters, it made me realize how disconnected I had been this past year to ocean life in Los Angeles; the one thing that has always kept me grounded. Personally, I have always been drawn to the ocean as it gave me a sense of peace. Seeing the sharks made me realize how lucky I was to have the opportunity to compose myself and close this current chapter in my life before starting the next which is alluded to be hectic. Moreover, these sharks also gave me hope. I say this because it allowed me to picture the previous night in which we as a group watched Deepwater Horizon. Watching a film based on a tragic story that plagued the area in which we are staying in, allowed us all to appreciate the nature surrounding us throughout the day in a way that would bond as friends, setting the tone for the rest of the trip and thus making me less afraid of the uncertainty in my move to Boston. That is what I think is beautiful in death and sadness, the hope of being near a new horizon.

Here’s to a new adventure!