Erik Ortiz

English 113B

Professor Lawson

13 February 2017

Project Space Ethnography

Strong Focuses on History

In the beautiful city of Los Angeles lies the history of what took place during World War

II. This building that holds the backstory of what events took place during the war is called the

Museum of Tolerance. This masterpiece of a structure was built by Canadian architect Maxwell

Starkman. Although the museum may look somewhat like an artistic building, this was definitely

built to tell a story on the inside. This museum was built for a better understanding of the

Holocaust and uses visuals documentaries and audio directories to tour guests throughout the

museum. This popular museum attracts people around the globe.

The sheer layout of the building was phenomenal, going up to at least 4 stories high and a

basement level, each dedicated to a certain section of historical value. The most important and

main level of the entire museum is the basement level. The basement level was dedicated to the

tolerance center and the Holocaust exhibit where you can tour throughout the basement level,

viewing artifacts such as old coins, and the yellow patch Jewish armbands that had to be worn to

be categorized as a Jew in Germany. The Holocaust exhibit also has a replica gas chamber where

you can walk in and sit whilst a quick documentary is played to show how the gas chambers

were used in concentration camps.

 The people that work there are very kind and helpful. All the guests that go to the

museum tend to be fairly new to the museum. I conducted several interviews asking for their

perspectives on the museum and their thoughts as to how the museum is of importance. One of

the responses was by a woman named by Patricia, a teacher at a high school up in San Francisco.

While interviewing others, my main question to every person was how the museum, its artifacts,

and events that are displayed significant to its community and Patricia responded, I think it

teaches the kids tolerance. How to respect each other and how to become adults, and most

importantly respect religion. Patricia was the only person I interviewed of any other person who

took perspective of the museum mostly affecting children and their actions rather than others

responding with it teaching history to be given a better understanding of what was happening

during the Holocaust.

I feel this museum is of great importance to the community and although it is a very

known museum, it should be valued more for its history and its initial impression of what was

transpired during the Holocaust. The museum is of great relevance today, holding history that

many hope to never reoccur again and hopefully teach others to prevent such events to occur.

This museum still has such impacts to the survivors of the Holocaust. I tried to conduct an

interview with one of the survivors that was participating at the museum and she couldnt even

say a word nor answer my very first question, as she turned and walked away and started tearing

up. I feel that although the museum might focus more on the Jewish, it primarily focuses more

on every other human being and its relations to society. Owing to the fact that The Museum of

Tolerance affects not only certain communities or cultural groups but everyone around the globe

makes the museum one of the most popular museums in Southern California.