18111 Nordhoff Street

Northridge, CA 91330
September 23, 2023
Giovanni Batz
2300 Red River Street D0800
Austin, TX 78712

Dear Giovanni Batz,

Being a descendant of Hispanic (Mexican) parents and reading your article “Expressions of
Maya Identity and Culture in Los Angeles” has given me a new perspective on culture,
especially in America. I was born and raised in Los Angeles with the experience of having a
large Mexican family to teach me about my hispanic culture and I have grown to love it. Not
only did I have the opportunity to have a large family in America, but we also happened to live
in Los Angeles, one of the places in the United States with a large percentage of the Hispanic
population. Therefore, I grew up in an environment that would not let me forget my Mexican
roots. There was, however, the white/American culture. Some call it being “whitewashed,”
where I must admit that even I have been influenced by the American culture.

Reading about how Mayans and Mayan descendants felt like “they are unfamiliar with the
[Mayan] culture or are ashamed (45)” made me think a lot about how I had basically been living
in a bubble. I never could’ve imagined that some cultures could feel “Latin-washed.” I never
really understood that someone outside of my culture could be intimidated by my culture. I was
so used to being around my culture and American culture that I forgot that there is a huge latin
influence in the city of Los Angeles that would be spread to other cultures as well.

Though you have opened my eyes to see a new world in my own city, I can’t help but try and
figure out who your target audience was and what your purpose was as you wrote this article. I
understand in your writing that you used ethos and that your credibility stems not only from
being a child of Guatemalan Mayan parents, but also your studies of political science and history
at California State University Northridge, as well as Latin American studies at the University of
Texas at Austin. However, was your goal to gain sympathy (using pathos in your article) from
latin communities in Los Angeles or was it to enlighten us on the details of other cultures living
within the community? In your article, you suggest that “Students from Latin American
backgrounds within the educational system in Los Angeles are often socialized into U.S. culture
and history, with attempts to appeal to the Latino community (45).” I have seen a wide variety of
cultures within schools, grocery stores, amusement parks, and many other public places.
Although I can admit that my culture is one of the more dominant ones, I don’t think I have ever
seen a situation where we excluded anyone based on race or culture. This may be because I live
in a world of my own where I am surrounded by my culture, but I would like to be enlightened
by what people in other cultures, such as yourself, have struggled with while living in Los
Angeles. I’d love to learn more about other cultures and what I can do to make Los Angeles less
intimidating.

Kind Regards,
Natalie Ramirez