National Museum of the American Latino - Rebeca Ventura, Week 4

 My last week with NMAL was bittersweet. I have absolutely loved my time here and I am sad to see it end, but I am glad I had the opportunity to be here. I learned so many new things, met new people, and gained new experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. It is astounding how much I have learned about Latino history and myself during these four weeks. 

On Monday, I started on the last of my Learning Lab projects. I focused on Clotilde Arias and Cochineal dye, a coveted red dye. Clotilde Arias composed the only singable Spanish version of the "Star-Spangled Banner", "El pendón estrellado". I had a lot of fun doing research on two topics that don't seem very connected at first glance and finding connections. Interestingly, the flag that inspired the original Star-Spangled Banner used dye made from the Cochineal insect, which is native to Mexico, Central America, and Peru. 

As mentioned in my previous blog post, my favorite part of doing research is looking through all the archival materials and resources of the Smithsonian. There are so many different artifacts, videos, and visual art that is available with just a click of a button. Admittedly, while doing my research I would get slightly sidetracked. When researching the Cochineal dye, I started watching almost all of the videos in the Nature by Design: Cochineal series, where many Latino artists talked about Cochineal. It was very enlightening to learn about its importance to Latin American traditions, textiles, and practices and how it continues to have a space in contemporary art despite the invention of synthetic dyes.

I completed the Science Behind the Spices lab on both Monday and Tuesday. Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in the activity myself which was very fun, but also incredibly helpful in creating the lab. I had the background information necessary to know what resources, information, and questions would be the best in creating an insightful and engaged educational experience. At first, I was a bit worried about creating a Learning Lab for something so STEM focused, but I managed to find many resources that are related to the topic. 

On the later half of Tuesday, I sat in on another meeting with the education and community outreach team. They discussed the results of a survey they conducted asking the community what they would like to see from the museum. It was super interesting to learn about different outreach programs the museum is doing, and it was nice to learn that museums care about their audience. Something that I learned during my time here is that the community is the most important part of the museum, and it was heartwarming to see the efforts of everybody to ensure the museum celebrates and uplifts our people. During this meeting, I learned that 7% of Latino students in Pasco, Washington are ready post-high school. This means that 93% of Latino students are not ready for a four-year university, community college, or trade and vocational schools upon completion of high school. The public education system is failing these students. They don't have the same access to resources and opportunities as other, more affluent students do and that is heartbreaking and enraging to me.

Another interesting statistic I read in a book that is in the Learning Lounge, No Dream Deferred: Why Black and Latino Families Are Choosing Homeschool by Zakkiyya Chase, is that one in ten Latino students go to college compared to over one in four white students. This shocking and overwhelming disparity unfortunately is not that surprising once I gave it more thought. Compared to a 47% of white women over the age of 25 with a bachelor's degree or higher, only 20% of Latina women achieved the same academic success. 

These statistics make the need for educational programs, reform, and opportunities made more readily available to students of color overwhelmingly clear. The work that is being done at NMAL is so incredibly important, and it gives me hope that a dedicated team is working to bridge this gap. 

On Wednesday, I spent the day at the Learning Lounge. I facilitated the lounge by myself, which was nerve-wracking but I felt ready. However, it was a slow day, so I did a lot of reading to pass the time. Many families and their children came in, and it was very nice to talk and play with them. I taught one child how to play dominoes, and we played a couple of rounds. 

In the middle of the day, a group of White House interns took a tour of the Molina Family Gallery, which Natalia led. As I've said before in previous blog posts, it is always nice to shadow tours as it presents me with an opportunity to take a closer look at the objects on display. I have also enjoyed the fact that I have watched different people present the tour; I am able to learn how people present the gallery in different ways. Since Natalia is Puerto Rican, she has a lot of insight on the Puerto Rican parts of the gallery and I like the approach she takes when engaging with the students. The interns were very engaged and interested in the objects we have displayed, and one could tell how impacted they were by the objects. My favorite parts of the tour are when they realize the painting of Manifest Destiny is the original, and when they find out the balsa boat is made of styrofoam. Those two moments elicit the biggest reactions, and the visitors are always willing to talk more about the concepts the two objects represent. 

After the tour, I had lunch with Natalia at the Jazz Cafe. We talked a little bit about my internship, what I have learned, and why the museum work is important. It was really nice to get my thoughts in order and discuss my experience so far. I also had the pleasure of getting to know Natalia a little bit more, and it was a delightful conversation that I will remember fondly. 

Once lunch time was over, I was back at the Learning Lounge by myself. I got a little bit more of reading in, and decided I would play bananagrams in Spanish. I was doing really well when these two teenagers visiting from Italy wandered into the Lounge. We talked a bit about their experience in the United States so far, and we played a couple of rounds of bananagrams. The first one was in Spanish, which they didn't so well in (I beat them by a landslide). The next couple of rounds were in English which were more evenly matched, making the competition a little more exciting. (On the left is my bananagrams game in Spanish–there is a T missing, it is supposed to say "Total".)

Thursday, I was back at the office. I spent the time going over the research I had completed for the Learning Labs and making sure they were ready to go. This included making sure I had enough information for each lab and ensuring each link was coming from a reputable source. Almost the entire NMAL team was in the office, and we had a nice lunch altogether. It was super sweet, and everybody gave me a bit of advice for college which I will cherish. 

I had enjoyed working with everybody on the team and getting to know them. They are all very kind, dedicated, and passionate people and I had felt inspired and motivated by everyone. Hearing their parting words of wisdom was very special for me, and I will remember their words. I am very grateful to have been surrounded by a great team for my time at NMAL. 

Before I left the office, I met with Adrián. He looked over my Learning Lab outlines, making sure they are up to standard. He also told me to add a description, which just means to include some basic information on what the Learning Lab is going to be about and any important information for educators. 

My last day, Friday, was spent between the gallery and the offices. I was in the gallery in the morning, where we spent some more time prototyping for the next exhibit. Since I was only there for a couple of hours, I only helped with one–the interactive map that plays clave-based music from different countries. The image on the left shows the coding from the computer that allows the different songs to play when someone interacts with the map. Currently, it works on a closed circuit, which I am not super qualified to fully explain but I'm sure most people remember from science class. However, the plan is that once it is installed in the exhibit, it will work as a simple button. Very cool!

As always, it is very interesting to hear people's feedbacks and opinions on our prototypes. People really enjoyed the map and interactive aspect and think it is a wonderful way to engage the audience. We got some people who were really excited to share their opinions and to hear about the future of the museum, which is always nice to hear about. There was a lot of interesting feedback, and one that stood out to me was the addition of having the clave beat be played without anything else. That way, people know what to listen for when playing around with the map. Since the museum will see an audience from a wide demographic, I think it is important to provide sufficient background information for everybody to be able to equally enjoy the museum as much as Latinos.

Sadly, my time at the Molina Family Gallery was cut a bit short and I had to brave the fierce heat. My trek to the Capital Gallery office was merciless, but I had the help of the NMAL fan to guide me through this treacherous journey. Additionally, I did walk through the mall and it was a nice reminder that I am in the nation's capital, which made the heat slightly more bearable. 

At the offices, I worked on adding the descriptions to the Learning Labs until my final meeting with Adrián. We then discussed the ending of YAP, but also what my future with NMAL looks like. Since I am staying local, I plan of staying involved! We also discussed a project that I can continue to work on until the Fall, so my time with NMAL isn't quite over yet. I will be working on completing my project with the Learning Labs, and I am happy that I have the opportunity to see my work to completion. It also makes my last day a bit less sad, as I know it is not completely over yet. 

I am so grateful for my experience and everybody I met. Being a part of the Young Ambassadors Program has been such a privilege, and I will cherish my experiences and lessons learned for the rest of my life. Not only have I made such wonderful connections (both personal and professional!), but it has made such a wonderful impact on my life. My work has been so fulfilling, and I feel better equipped to begin this new chapter of my life. Although many things about my future remain uncertain, I feel better knowing I have an entire community standing by me. Thank you so much everybody on the YAP and NMAL team! 2024 cohort, OUT!