Rodriguez 1

Selene Rodriguez
Ms. Gongora
11 April, 2016
Period 2
Self- Evaluation
The topic that I chose for my research paper was on minority representation in the media. I
included people who are LGBTQ as well because I feel like both minorities and LGTBQ people
are not represented well in the media. What initially drew me to this topic was when I read an
article on how there never seems to be a main character that is nonwhite or LGBTQ. This
eventually led me to notice whenever I would read a book or watch a movie just how true the
information in the article was. When I began to write the actual research paper the parts that were
easiest for me to complete was setting up the paper in correct MLA format and just the general
organization of the research paper. Although, I did not feel as confident in writing the actual
paper or developing a strong thesis statement. From this research paper I have learned how to
look for sources and how to cite a source in a paper. However, I dont really understand how to
add in a long quote into the research paper. Doing the physical project was learning experience
because it forced me to learn more about minority celebrities as well as LGBTQ celebrities and
how they have impacted the media. The physical project did expand my understanding of the
topic greatly because it really showed me just how badly the media portrays LGBTQ and
minority people in their movies compared to real life. This project was not so much of a learning
experience since I have done research papers in the past. I wish that instead of the research paper
we could a video reflecting on what we have done throughout the four years of high school.