We observed the Trolley Stop Plaza. It was located on Imperial between 62nd and 63rd. At the plaza, there was a super market, laundromat, beauty shop, bus stop, and a restaurant/ bar. All of the shops in the plaza are local shops as opposed to national chains. The majority of the signs posted are in Spanish. The sounds that we heard were the traffic, the trolley, and the different languages. The smells were all associated with the traffic.
We saw a variety of people and we heard the languages of Spanish, English, and Arabic. Most of the people were Mexican-American and African-American. The people we attempted to talk to seemed to be busy and or unwilling to answer questions. The people we could get involved in conversation had some interesting things to say. We approached a middle-aged African-American woman at the bus stop. She said she has lived in this area for thirteen years, and in that time she has had two children go to and graduate from O'Farrell and Morse. She said she felt that the students at these two schools are motivated, assertive, and in general great students. She felt that the teachers at the schools were supportive of her children. She said that she likes living in this neighborhood because everyone is supportive and looks out for one another. She recommended that we, as future teachers, try to get to know our students, listen to them, and motivate them to do their best.
We also talked to a 35 year old white male who grew up in the neighborhood but attended San Diego High School. He went to Morse for one day but implied that he did not feel comfortable there. He was not in touch with the kids today but said that they hang out at the recreation center, where he played as a kid. He talked about the problems with gangs in the neighborhood and the need for more opportunities for kids. In general, he liked the community but as a white male, he felt uncomfortable going out at night. He emphasized that future teachers should do more with drug and alcohol education. He believed that kids will listen to adults who have had these problems and can relate their experiences to them. He implied that he had gone through similar problems and hopes someday to work with kids in juvenile facilities. He is also an advocate of more opportunities for kids at the recreation center where he spent time as a kid.