an immersive week in Chicago
One of the days that stood out to me the most and made me realize how much I am glad I chose this class for my discover was when we walked in Pilsen. The tour guide was so amazing at storytelling, it felt like I was being transported into the history of Pilsen. I loved sitting at the bleachers and realizing that that is where people from their community have sat for years to watch their friends and family play games. It made me feel like I was a part of the community as well, or at least getting my own impression of the community.
The street vendors were my favorite part of Pilsen to be completely honest. I am from southern Indiana and there are no street vendors anywhere, so every time I see one, I want to buy from them. The fresh made food, with the authentic ingredients are so hard to pass up. I bought a strawberry popsicle and watermelon with Tajin. I love shopping and eating, so doing that in the community makes me feel like I am learning more and immersing myself more in that community.
The art was also very engaging. Not only seeing the beautiful art, but hearing the stories behind the art made the entire experience so incredible. I feel like I learned so much more about Pilsen’s culture and history. I have never really enjoyed history classes, but learning history in that way was very entertaining and I have actually retained the information he shared. The storytelling puts me into the stories and I love imagining them while they are being told. Also, looking at the different types of art and learning how they were made and why, immersed me in the stories even more. Being able to imagine the different artists or artists using different materials and processes and buildings to create their murals for their one same community helps to put the different communities of Chicago into perspective.
After the mural tour was over, I went to a taco place and got a quesadilla. I have never been to a real Mexican restaurant before. The only quesadillas I have had are from Taco Bell, so it was very new for me to experience. At one point during the meal I looked over and saw an old couple eating tacos on the table next to me. They were speaking Spanish and I wondered if they had been living in Pilsen for their entire lives. For many of the people in the restaurant, I wondered if Pilsen was their home and if they grew up seeing the murals that we had just toured, for their entire lives.
For me, Immersion Week means helping us students feel as if we belong in Chicago. Especially as a student coming from out of state, being able to learn the different communities and streets and how they work made me feel like I am truly living in Chicago and I’m not just a tourist or visitor. I still have to remind myself that college is not just a few week long vacation, that I am a part of Chicago now and the immersion week helped me gain some knowledge on what that means for me and for some of the millions of other people that also live here.
