We had a great first day exploring the history and art of Latino culture in Philly. We prepared for our day by listening to various Latino artists like Frankie Ruiz, Tito Nieves, and Marc Anthony.
Soon after, we got underway and headed to Taller Puertorriqueño. There they showed us a brief presentation of Taíno civilization in Puerto Rico. We learned about their Petroglyphs, a form of pictural communication, and used those symbols to design T-shirts.
After the T-shirt making activity, we moved onto the galleries. There we observed several works of art depicting the history and struggle of the Latino culture in both the Caribbean and the United States. Throughout the gallery, there were some commonalities in thematic elements such as immigration, racial oppression, and the importance of family.
Several hours later, we left the gallery to have lunch at El Bohio where we had the opportunity to taste Latin American dishes. This concluded our first day of exploring Latino culture in Philadelphia. We had a great time learning about and experiencing the culture. We’re looking forward to the rest of our trip.
¡Adios!
Jake and Isaac