Alvarado 1

Vanessa Alvarado
English 114B
Professor Lawson
26 February 2014
Project Space Final Draft
Word Count: 1327
Think, Eat & Act
Los Angeles opened its arms to many people of various cultures and ethnicities. In Los
Angeles one will find a variety of people in a neighborhood expressing themselves through their
cultural differences living among each other generally harmoniously. Sure there are places
where one population may overrule over another, but there is not a designated area for any said
person. Due to the fact that there are so many various ethnicities living among one another in
Los Angeles it has become easy for people to fall into the mindset of stereotyping. Stereotyping
occurs much more easily in Los Angeles because of how judgmental this entertainment driven
city has become. These stereotypes play a toll on people and may cause some people to suppress
their cultural differences becoming more Americanized, whereas there are those who embrace
their culture even more. It is only through the smaller restaurants like Las Fuentes Restaurant in
the Reseda area that still seems to manage to hold tight to their Mexican culture enough to
provide a reminder of the obstacles they have triumphed.
It is apparent to all that in order to survive, one must eat. In Los Angeles it is easy to find
a burger joint, sushi bar, pizza parlor and various other kinds of foods by simply going up and
down a single street. But, what many fail to realize is that while they are doing this, they are
tapping into another persons culture, if they do in fact part from what is typically subjected to as
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their own kind of food. Food is one significant gateway key into a persons culture. Many
people who live in the Los Angeles area have come to enjoy Mexican food, but its people have
been negatively stereotyped as dirty and no good people. They are also described as loud, crazy,
and overall negative felonious kinds of people. But, it is imperative to recall that stereotypes are
only skin deep and that there is so much more to a person, than that which meets the eye. There
are many people attempt to go against the current of their stereotype, but unfortunately are not
given the opportunity to express their positive selves because of preconceptions and
misconceptions, which as a result puts a destructive, as well as damaging, view upon themselves.
Restaurants are one of the easiest places to view a better depiction of its people,
especially if the type of restaurant is run by the same ethnic group as the restaurant. Mexican
restaurants usually have been known to have their own musical group playing, have moderately
to distastefully loud music playing, and have an abundant amount of alcohol behind its counter
tops. But, true and authentic Mexican restaurants do not need all that jazz to show off its culture.
It does it all on its own. Las Fuentes Mexican Restaurant does a fantastic job at truly capturing
the serious essence of the Mexican people. From the moment one enters through the doors, they
do in fact still have that loud Hispanic feel, but it is a socially acceptable loud in which a family
or group of friends can relish in. The moment an individual gets over the whole feel of the
restaurants bright, yet warm home-feel colors the restaurant is filled with and the beautiful
simplistic paper maches dangling from one end of the room to the next, along with the almost
realistic fruit trees and vines hugging the walls and ceiling decorations, they realize the eye
capturing murals on the walls. These hand painted murals of men sweating and exhausted
working to gather and earn food with over-sized baskets thrown upon their backs, and the
women holding and caring for the children ever so lovingly among the walls are a way of
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reminding all people that Mexicans are hard working individuals who will do anything they can
to survive and provide for their families. Family is primarily what motivates them to continue
living day by day and endure through difficult circumstances. The other mural toward the back,
adjacent to the kitchen, is also a reminder of the pueblos (towns) the Mexican people came from,
which truthfully was nothing but dirt roads and closely built homes that were flat roofed with
many arches. Through these murals a person of Mexican decent may well appreciate and give
insight to who they are and what their ancestors struggled through so that generations after them,
may live a better life. The owners of this restaurant want Mexicans to be seen in an altered light
than which they have been stereotyped. They desire to see fellow Mexicans under the same level
of respect as any other race because truly we all came to America the same way, hence there
should be no reason to be seen not as equals.
Like many things in America, food and the behavior of how a person portrays themselves
has been altered to be socially suitable to all people. In order to not try and step on any one
persons toes, Mexican restaurants tend to make things milder and try to incorporate things that
would make individuals feel more comfortable to indulge and visit ever so often. Due to the fact
that Las Fuentes is advertised as a Mexican restaurant, some Hispanics may be skeptical of how
the restaurant is expressed. Such things are as simple as menu items, bilingual signs, and
changeable foods. In order to be more accepting of all people, if requested, foods may be
changed in the level of flavor and or spiciness in order to suit a persons set desire. In this aspect
it changes its true authenticity, but either way one can tell this is true Mexican food and not that
phony stuff one gets from Taco Bell. In regards to how an individuals behavior changes is all
based upon whom a person is dealing with and what kind of relationship is occurring. Mexicans
dealing with anyone who is not of Mexican or Hispanic culture is not greeted as homely as
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opposed to those who are. They are still just as courteous as the next person, but they do not
give a sense of relax and family feeling where they can joke around as easily. Instead, they
become more uptight and direct to a person without any fun and games that they may do with a
person of Hispanic culture. It just may be due to the fact that they feel a sense of connection
with fellow Hispanics that they do not feel with anyone outside of their culture. Nowadays
Hispanics seem to have two extremes also. One way being completely in touch with their
culture and all that is affiliated with it and Spanglish ways of speech. And they are the ones that
are typically the troublemakers who give off a negative reputation for the Hispanic culture.
Whereas the other is Hispanics are neglecting all that has to do with their heritage, making them
Americanized and completely disconnected and uninterested with their roots. Those Hispanics
that do this are searching for acceptance in the world over anything.
Mexican restaurants are welcoming to all people through its stress of acceptance to all in
order to do well in the business world. It is necessary to remember that nowadays, there really is
not too much that is truly authentic due to the Americanization of people. As times progress and
evolve the lines begin to blur when it comes to where our roots come from because people are
too afraid of being outcasts or unwanted. Being in Los Angeles, as well as in America as a
whole, has changed how people think, eat and even act because of the concept of imperfection.
Living in Southern California changes our already impressionable minds into more superficial
and white-washed manners. Today all that one cares about seems to be accepted, which
causes people to suppress their cultures. Depressing as it is, we are slowly losing touch with the
pride of our own culture.