This Spring Quarter I have begun a digital archival project with my students that I have titled @lavisualrepresentations via Instagram. Currently it is at the nascent stage, only having the one post I uploaded before the first day of class. I hope that by the end the quarter, I will have 40+ unique student posts describing in their own words how they understand, view and analyze the presence of Chican@s and Latin@s in Los Angeles. Here’s what I wrote for mine:

In recent decades, cities in South East Los Angeles have become majority Latina/o, and it is not a surprise that this area has a large immigrant population, mostly from Latin America. Due to the lack of immigration reform in the United States, those that live in this area as undocumented students, workers and/or families are in constant fear of forced deportation.  Recent California state legislator through Governor Jerry Brown has given undocumented immigrants access to state-issued driver’s licenses. The program has had some success, with the New York Times reporting that within the first six-months of the passing and implementation of Assembly Bill 60, more than 50% of the California Driver’s Licenses were issued to undocumented immigrants. While this proves to be an important milestone in recognizing undocumented immigrants as a vital component in California’s economy, there continues to be a disconnect between federal policy, (which has not approved California’s approach to the immigrant population), and continues to deport as well as break up mixed status families while employing ICE agents trained to search for undocumented immigrants. In the meantime, outreach to immigrants regarding new laws and policies has been limited, with most information being online and appointments normally available during work-week hours which is when the majority of people are working to support themselves and their families. With many undocumented immigrants continuing to drive without a state license, it is not uncommon for areas such as SELA to have make-shift warnings or caution signs informing folks about DUI checks down the street, which routinely ask for the driver to produce their license. While driving down Imperial Highway, I knew what the sign meant by “Check Point Ahead”; it also forced me to pause and think about how the sign has two potentially divergent meanings to its reader. In a city where more than 50% of its population speaks a second language outside of English, the most dominant being Spanish, “Check Point Ahead” may not need translation, but its words definitely placed the Latina/o immigrant experience at the forefront. #LAVisuals #CCS111