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TromposBy Beatriz Magallanes The definition of culture is summed up in one word: tradition. When I go back to my earliest memory, my brother Juan is there. My brother and I are very close. This trust started to develop at an early age when we would stand in our living room playing with the trompos, or tops, my grandfather had brought home with him. As we grew older, we started to change. We still had a very close relationship, but the things we did together changed. Our parents described our change as being "Americanized." We stopped having top-spinning competitions and started to talk on the phone or play video games. One Saturday morning, after I came back from teaching at my local church's school, I suggested we go as a family to Olvera Street. Besides spending time with my family, I planned to take advantage and take some photographs of my culture there. As we were walking around, I came upon a store that sold many different Mexican toys. As soon as I spotted the trompos, I called my brother and asked him to gaze at them. |
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When he was doing this, I snapped the photograph. This photograph contains a very obvious directional movement. Because my brother is looking at the toys, the eye is led to the toys. The colors of the toys contrast with the colors my brother is wearing. The colors my brother is wearing are solid, while the toys have many different colors. The toys in this photograph are the center of interest. In this photograph, two cultures are coming together in the life of one person, my brother. The first culture in this photograph is the Mexican culture. In his childhood, my brother played with the different Mexican toys that are in the background. He was taught how to play with these toys by my father, who was taught by his grandfather, and so on. These trompos are a big tradition in the Mexican culture. The second culture in this photograph is the American culture. My brother is dressed like a typical American. He is wearing a baseball cap, a T-shirt, and a sweatshirt. Los Angeles is a city in which a person can learn about many different cultures that are not necessarily their own. My brother has learned about the American culture here. The Mexican and American cultures come together in the life of my brother. My brother has taken the Mexican culture and mixed it with the American culture. |