Graphic Design and Digital Illustration
Blog #1: Preliminary Research and Summation #1: The Loss of Cultural Identity in the Latinx Community in the U.S.A
9/14/2022
Due to the loss of connection to cultural practices and cultural celebrations in Latinx communities here in the United States, many are losing their cultural identities. It's often that young Latinx individuals feel the need to connect and understand their ancestral cultures, however due to American misrepresentation and acceptance, it is often sacrificed. If there was more of a positive representation of Latinx traditions and their cultural celebrations in the United States, it would be more accepted and respected reducing the loss of cultural identity.
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Why is it important to know the history and original traditions?
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Is it due to lack of knowledge about our own cultures?
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Is it due to the lack of knowledge from people who are from different cultures?
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How can the Latinx become more involved with their ancestral cultures?
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How can branding be used in this situation?
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Why is it important to know about traditions and old practices?
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How does Latinx culture influence branding?
How can branding be utilized to bring a more positive representation to Latinx cultural practices and celebrations to reduce the loss of cultural identities in Latinx communities here in the United States?
Works Cited:
https://nature.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article01.htm
After reading this essay, it goes into a lot of detail, full of many examples from many different cultural perspectives. It refers to stereotyping throughout the whole document and how it mostly has negatively affected cultures and individuals. It also goes into descriptions on a few different types of cultural indifferences such as cross-cultural and status barriers and commonality of human kind. It then concludes with ways to overcome cultural indifferences by making a genuine effort to learn to accept different cultures and aspects and take the time to learn something new. It’s ok not to understand everything thats out there but when it is on a positive note there shouldn't be any conflict.
https://www.123helpme.com/essay/Causes-Of-Loss-Of-Cultural-Identity-669298
This essay goes into detail about different reasons why people could loose their cultural in a general point of view. The 3 main reasons as to why culture is lost and those 3 reasons are immigration, industrialization, and globalization. It's often when people move to a different area people would want to assimilate to that areas culture and begins to loose their own cultural identity. A commonality that seen among people that were always trying to fit in and that means making some sacrifices at self cost. It then goes on to explaining more about how these three issue are affect people and why it is the problem of cultural identity.
https://espiritu.com/blogs/culture/what-it-means-to-have-a-mexican-american-identity-crisis
This article focuses more on the Mexican American Community aka Chicanx which is very much part of the Latinx Community. It then goes to describe what they mean to have an identity crisis regarding heritage. Growing up in America but with Mexican roots is a struggle for most because you're either not Mexican enough or you're not American enough. First generations usually have this problem a lot more compared to others. If an individual doesn't have specific features and prejudices specific to a community its hard to feel welcome. This specifically stood out to me: "Chicanx must acculturate to white society in order to survive in the U.S, this process erases their Mexican culture and identity little by little—we forget our Mexican language and customs, we erase or conceal parts of ourselves in order to survive."
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/migrations/bord/cultid2.html
This article explains more from a historical perspective. For example, it describes how the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo separated people and made them travel to ridiculously long miles because a border now separated them. Due to the borders growing stronger many people from the Southern borders found different avenues of migration. With migration happening so did the loss of culture because in order to protect themselves from being sent back they had to learn how to act and be like Americans which led to loss of self identity.
https://www.saintmarys.edu/files/denise%20lopez.pdf
Latinx population continues to grow all the time here in the United States and this essay investigates how this population growth has affected language, environment, and culture and how it constructs identity in small rural communities. This essay actually exposed a new term that I haven't heard before being social identity theory. This theory is composed of categorization, identification, and comparison. This explains how an individual would categorize themselves within one social group and with how they construct their own social, personal, cultural, identity.
This was an interesting article to read as it was talking about a student and his own experience with loss of cultural identity. He went on the thank his teacher about teaching about Latino identity, specifically about connections to other Latinos and our contributions to history and culture. It then goes on to describe how many young Latinos like this student struggle with their cultural identity because they were raised "American."Something specifically said that stood out to me was "an urge to connect with and understand their ancestral culture is often sacrificed in the pursuit of mainstream acceptance."
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/young-latinos-born-u-s-carving-their-own-identity-n908086
This is another article where it tells the story of a first generation student whose parents are from Ecuador. He goes on to explain how his parents wanted him to have the best life and achieve the "American dream." He also claimed that his parents taught him his culture at home however his parents thought it would be best if he didn't show his culture in public. The article then describes how Hispanics are viewed in this country and how often it is seen as something negative but we should be proud to be who wears are. It also talks about the importance of speaking Spanish here in the U.S. and how that's been more accepted overtimes.
https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/the-invisible-latino-in-america/
The Latino population continues to grow her in the United States but according to this article they are not assimilating meaning that the culture is slowly fading away because they tend to lean to the most dominant culture. Another tpoint that the author made was that it is often misunderstood that Latino doesn't mean just one single identity because they are many different identities that have different traditions.
This article describes how the loss of culture could be due to the fact that Latino culture and history were often excluded from American Media and history books. It speaks about Hispanic Heritage Month as how it gives Latinos the chance celebrate and recognize their identity but it is also a reminder of "the power of the community is incommensurate to its role in society." Latinos have been part of America for a long time but that within its self has been failed to be recognized.
https://www.latimes.com/latinogap/
The article refers to Hollywood representation of Latinx culture and its people. Many believe that Hollywood has failed to represent Latino people. If you look at early media it there was weak representation in tv shows to movies. Lately, there has been more of a push to include Latinx stories, culture, and early traditions. It then list a bunch of other articles where they give examples of movies that have wronged the Latinx community.
Blog #2: ID Kit Research: What is needed for your field?
9/20/2022
What do you consider to be your medium?
I would say my medium now would be digital Illustration but back before I found graphic design I use primarily charcoal and graphite to draw and express my creative side. I would consider my style to be within the retro graphic design styles which is something I recently discovered about myself because I like the detail, textures, etc that retro design has and really enjoy designing retro inspired logos. A example of the retro style the influences me are label designs within the liquor world such as Cien Malos Tequila. Within this label design it catches that retro look with the badge and typography and also involves an eye catching illustration with a bunch of tiny details.
What skills, aptitudes, and abilities are current jobs in your field requiring, and how do you think your skills align with them?
As I looked at some of the job requirements in some jobs I feel would fit my interest, I found one looking for Casamigos Tequila as a Full Time graphic designer in Malibu, California:
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Proven portfolio or refined and organized design
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Passion for designing compelling and unique things
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Meticulous about details
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Fluent intuition of design principles and tools
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Native understanding and mastery of Adobe Suite
Personally, I believe that I do have experience in these requirements I just to fix a few things within my portfolio and resume. I describes everything I'm looking for and is looking for who could design UNIQUE AND METICULOUS ABOUT DETAILS. Detail is a keyword for me, I want a job where I can draw illustrations and be able to do script typography. One of my downfalls would be the lack of experience I have outside of college.
https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/CasamigosTequila/743999659404979-graphic-designer
After you graduate, what would you (either as a freelancer, employee, or business owner) offer that no one else in your market can? What would be your brand's unique value propositions?
My ideal career would be to eventually be a freelancer, how, I know I need to work my way to the top so I would most likely be an employee for a company. My plan is to do an internship after college to get that upfront experience and the go into finding a job. However, I would offer unique labeling compared to brands. I would always support on the design after the initial transaction in case they feel like adding something or taking away something, kind of like when tattoo artists offer touch ups after the initial tattoo. I want to be able to be a strong enough designer to offer that one day. My brands unique value propositions would be to create unique brand identities to encourage positive interactions from its audiences.
Ideally, what kind of clients/industries would you like to serve and work with, and why?
As previously said I would like to work within the liquor branding or even the magazine design world. Liquor brands such as Casamigos, Patron, Odell Brewing, etc. Also, magazines specifically to the tattoo world such as Inked Magazine. The reason why I think these jobs would fit me because of the creative freedom they have and the work environment that they have. A few years back I talked to a brewery about their design department and usually they are very laid back and give a lot of creative freedom. I know not every job within these industries are going to be the same but I think they are all interesting careers to explore.
Through your research, please list the problems you are most interested in addressing after you graduate and why.
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How does culture influence branding?
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Inaccurate brand perception
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Achieving positive audience engagement
What attributes and services do you think you would need to offer to be competitive in envisioned marketplace?
I think would need to present that my work would be unique from others, positive credibility, relevance, consistency, and attention to detail in all aspects.
Blog #3: Preliminary Research and Summation #2: The Loss of Cultural Identity in the Latinx Community in the U.S.A
9/29/2022
My research question:
How can branding be utilized to bring a more positive representation to Latinx cultural practices and celebrations to reduce the loss of cultural identities in Latinx communities here in the United States?
Hypothesis Statement:
Due to the loss of connection to cultural practices and cultural celebrations in Latinx communities here in the United States, many are losing their cultural identities. It's often that young Latinx individuals feel the need to connect and understand their ancestral cultures, however due to American misrepresentation and acceptance, it is often sacrificed. If there was more of a positive representation of Latinx traditions and their cultural celebrations in the United States, it would be more accepted and respected reducing the loss of cultural identity.
Independent and Dependent Variable:
Major Assertions:
Blog #4: Preliminary Research and Summation #3: The Loss of Cultural Identity in the Latinx Community in the U.S.A
10/14/2022
What Problem are you Interested in?
The loss of culture in Latinx communities. Many individuals who identify as Latinx, especially the younger generations are losing knowledge of their traditions and cultural celebrations.
Why it's a Problem, and for whom?
It's a problem because when people loose their language, spiritual , or culture it is often that they loose sense of their identity and belonging to a community, they could also loose sense of purpose and direction. As for whom, based on my project I am focusing on the Latinx community here in the United States. Many Latinx individuals loose their culture due to mainstream culture and expectations here in the U.S. In order to fit in they often sacrifice their own cultural identities to conform to the American expectations.
Why is it Appropriate for a Design Thesis?
It is appropriate for a design thesis because in many occurrences design is influenced by culture in many ways in many different aspects. In my specific thesis, I am focusing on brand identity. As part of my research I want to see how culture has influenced brand identity, as for Latinx if you look at a lot of Tequila brands, many reference traditional holidays, patterns, language, typography, etc. Look at Patrón Tequila, for example, they have a box design for Limited Edition Tequilas such as the Mexican Heritage Tins and the Chinese New Year Tins. However, back to my problem I want to use a brand identity to bring a positive representation like Patrón does to represent Latinx cultural practices and celebrations so that it isn't misrepresented. Design is every where and I believe I could be used to bring a better understanding and stronger acceptance of Latinx traditions and celebrations; as well as other cultural communities as well.
https://www.patrontequila.com/products.html#limited
How will pursuing it aid you in Achieving your Immediate and Long-term Objectives after Graduation?
It will aid in helping me achieve my immediate and long-term objectives because as said in my answer to the previous question, I am interested in going into liquor branding and design. I feel like this project would give me insight into what the process would be to base a design on something such as culture because it could be a sensitive topic to approach. It would also show employers my respect to diversity and cultural identities. Overall, in general it would be a great learning experience on brand identities and design problems.
Additional Summaries:
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/268072584.pdf
This is an essay where it talks about the loss of cultural identity as a whole but it points the blame to globalization. It then introduces another term of psychological functioning. It then goes to explains how globalization is the are taxing families, youth, and cultural system all over the world. These social systems are then contaminated by the need to borrow morals, skills, values and competencies from other nations and regions. This process of globalization and other consequences lead to the stripping of cultural identity.
This is another essay about globalizations influence cultural identity but more specific to Latin American culture. Globalization brings profound changes to within the cultural experience. Though globalization makes some positive points such as interdependence and interconnection among different nations, it can be argued that it has a negative affect on traditional practices and culture as a whole.
https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/S13_Thesis_Fedie.pdf
This is an thesis essay about the "Transformation and Perception of Mexican Identity in the United States." It is separated by three parts where it looks at the history of the Mexican Identity, the asserstion of "Americanity," and the formation of the Mexican American Identity. There was a quote within the document, "Nations hardly ever have the luxury to develop their identity in strict introspection; extraneous factors intervene. The process usually includes some degree of contrasting with neighbors or ideal models. Nations develop in the context of other nations." –Juan D. Bruce-Novoa.
https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1022&context=ethnic
Throughout this collection of research globalization has came up a lot within my research so I thought it would be best to put a few all together. In this essay it describes about the world of Latina/o and Chicana/o politics. Specifically more about globalization and transnational reticence in the United States and Chiapas. Throughout the essay it references specific historical dates and how they were relevant to Mexican Identity especially here in the U.S. It also references social movements and well known individuals in the Mexican American movements such as Rodolfo Gonzalez who was well known activist here in Denver where he led a massive high school walkout.
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/46722006.pdf
Another essay with a lot of relevant interesting that leads back to globalization with the Latin community. This specific essay looks at five different generations. The author references Columbus and the Spanish and when the first showed up in the Lucayas Islands ( the Bahamas) and when they started to change things to the "European standards" especially when it came to native languages. It then is uses other examples such as animal domestication in reference to globalization and the changes it make to native and traditional ways from e era aspect.