Spanish II classes visit Hispanic neighborhood of Pilsen
The altar for the beloved Mexican-American singer, Selena, in the National Museum of Mexican Art. Students observed and listened to a guided tour through this museum on their field trip to the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen.
Spanish II classes explored the rich and artful culture in the Hispanic Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen last Friday, November 13 to experience and gain an understanding for Mexican culture.
Students were able to experience and gain perspective on true Mexican culture through visiting the National Museum of Mexican Art, shopping around local stores, eating at an authentic restaurant, and observing murals, according to Carlye Hamilton, Spanish teacher.
While visiting the museum, students listened to the tour guide, a native speaker, speak about the Day of the Dead exhibit and answer questions from what they learned in class. They also were required to take two pictures of themselves in the museum or around the town to show how involved in the trip they were.
“It was a fun time to see an actual Hispanic town. It was interesting to see the things we learned about in person rather than in a classroom,” Erin MacDonald, Spanish II sophomore said.
Even though Spanish II classes have participated in this field trip for over a decade, there was a new experience for teachers and students alike.
“We discovered 15th Street tag art that is so prevalent right now, especially in Latino culture,” said Carlye Hamilton, Spanish teacher. “It’s not negative gang graffiti, but it’s cultural artwork. These are actual artists displaying their work, most of it relating to Day of the Dead, current immigration reform, or about sports. There must have been 20 murals. We don’t have that in Lake Zurich, so that was nice to see.”
As a senior, Meggie is the Web Editor-in-Chief of Bear Facts Student Media. Previously, she was the Social Media Manager in charge of the staff Twitter...