This post is dedicated to Maria Cruz’s Service Project she had to complete for her Honors course in the Spring of 2020. For her project, she spent a day volunteering at the Lotus House Women’s Shelter with her class.

Who & How

Quite frankly, the day my classmates and I spent volunteering at the Lotus House was one of my favorite offsite excursions. In recent years, most of the volunteering work I had completed was organizing events or activities of that manner for organizations, which was rewarding at the time because it allowed me to raise further awareness for their work and the impacts of supporting their efforts. However, because of the indirect nature of my positions, it has been a while since I contributed my personal time and efforts to face these issues head-on. This is why I was so interested in volunteering at the Lotus House since I first heard of the opportunity, and despite just how unprepared I initially felt when we showed up for our shifts I now feel more motivated than ever to help those whose struggles are being widely ignored in our community.

Where & Why

Despite the list of chores we had to complete and various hours of work, throughout our day at the Lotus House my classmates and I came to know many of its workers, the story of the women and children that seek their help, and the sanctuary’s mission. At the start of our volunteer shift, I was completely unaware of what the expectations set for us will be and how our involvement could benefit the center’s residents; however, our guides fro the day were very welcoming and forthcoming with information. They started off by telling us the Lotus House’s mission, how the facility recruits its workers to ensure the maintenance of operations, and just how grateful they, as a non-profit, are grateful for contributions of any kind. Immediately afterward, we began our work for the day. As the complex is large and is constantly offering services to its residents and outside members of the community, we were all split up into different groups and sent to complete separate tasks. There were those who went to sanitize, help out in the kitchens, and finally, the last group was asked to clear out the docking bay and help clean up for the arrival of new shipments. The final group of us were tasked with seemingly the most daunting responsibility — can you guess which one I was assigned to? Nonetheless, we started working immediately.

As we were clearing out the warehouse and separated the items into two separate categories for the items that were being donated and those that were being thrown out we learned more about the inner operations of Lotus House. First, the items that were being donated were actually being sent to their own thrift chic boutique whose proceedings go back to the center. Also, this shop runs one of its empowerment programs whose retail job training opportunities “assist[s] women, youth, and children experiencing homelessness improve the quality of their lives on every level and achieve greater self-sufficiency.” Once all the items were loaded into the truck and it was good to go we began a deep clean of the warehouse itself. While I was asked to help organize their “goodies” closet in the midst of this, I eventually rejoined my classmates and professors in this great task. Eventually, everything was squeaky clean and my group and I grabbed lunch with the classmates we were separated from. Wr ended the day by cleaning the communal areas on the floors of the apartment complex, with a new appreciation for the shelter and all the work it does for our community.

Summary

While this was a completely new experience for me, it is an opportunity I am truly grateful for having. Looking back on our time here, despite my own economic troubles and personal issues my time in this quarantine world has helped me realize that I am still a position of privilege. Our work at the Lotus House gave me a new perspective on what I, and our community, can do to support one another because no matter how small of a contribution you make, it can result in a grand difference in somebody else’s life. From clearing out the warehouse to sanitizing the common areas, we put maximum efforts in making sure everything was left squeaky clean. The shelter’s workers profusely thanked us for assisting them, expressing to us how despite their best efforts, the “village” (the rebranded name for this shelter) has become so large and there are so many daily operations they have to look over that sometimes menial tasks like these get pushed back.

We may have only spent half a day here, but I was really looking forward to going back and completing the remaining of my volunteer hours at the Lotus House — a sentiment I know I share with some of my classmates. After personally witnessing how they are making their mission a reality and the change this organization is making in Miami, I feel more empowered than ever to help combat the issues of homelessness and socioeconomic disparity in Miami. 

Yahnell Judah and Marie-France Desir are alumni of the FIU Honors College. They both travelled to France in 2019 as part of the course “Art, War, & Human Rights.”

These are their voices.

It’s a tragedy that some people are privileged enough to view the current events as an isolated outburst instead of a reaction to years of fearing if next time someone calls the police on my father for walking in the park, he won’t come home. If you are tired of the riots and media coverage over the past week, imagine how tiring it is to live in fear of the ones who promised “to protect and to serve,” every single day of your life. It is exhausting. It is exhausting to know that a black man can be killed over a twenty dollar bill and the leaders of this nation would rather watch the people mourn and the country burn before simply arresting four of their own. 

We and millions of others in our community cry at the death of our brothers and sisters, murdered by police officers at rates 2.5 times that of their white counterparts and never given justice. We understand you might want to use “love and words” as forms of protest but black people have tried that for hundreds of years and no one has listened, if anything they lose their job for it (Kapernick), die behind it (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and many more) or die for doing absolutely nothing (George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed and hundreds more). An un-oppressed population cannot tell an oppressed population how to react to oppression so please, if you consider yourself an ally to the cause, do not suggest peaceful protests as a new idea; it ignores the fact that the voices of the black community often fall on deaf ears. 

“A riot is the language of the unheard.” – MLK, Jr. Riots and looting will always be effective forms of protest against a society that values material things over human lives. Any history book can confirm this. Broken windows can be repaired and merchandise can be replaced, human lives on the other hand, cannot. Looting property is not nearly as violent an act as holding your knee on someone’s neck for several minutes while they cry to the heavens for their life. If the protests are the only thing you’re complaining about, please question your morals and consider the fact that Chauvin the Murderer was not even arrested until a viral and explicit video was released, social media outrage occurred and protests started hurting a few pockets. A lot of these major companies exploit minority communities anyway by paying slave wages, profiting off of black culture and corporate crime (including minimum wage violations, rest break violations and overtime violations) that has always outweighed petty theft/vandalism by an extraordinary amount. If a few trashed stores are what it takes for change to happen; so that we can walk down the street freely and have value given to our lives and experiences, then so be it.

We truly believe that allies, instead of judging the protestors or comparing their own states of oppression, should peacefully protest if that’s what you believe in, share awareness, donate to bail protestors or raise money for vandalized small businesses, speak out on your racist friends or family members, and recognize your own racist mentalities. Stop trying to demonize protestors because you don’t understand their pain and LISTEN to their stories to educate yourself on this SERIOUS issue. 

Black Lives Matter 

Please support the official Black Lives Matter

https://blacklivesmatter.com

AUTHORS AND LAST UPDATE
Marie-France Desir & Yahnell Judah 02 June 2020
COPYRIGHT © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Lotus House

On Wednesday, March 11th the Miami in Miami class volunteered at The Lotus House. The Lotus House is a nonprofit women’s and children’s homeless shelter located in Overtown, Miami. They provide free housing, meals, health care, several kinds of counseling, education for kids and adults, training, amenities, clothing, and so much more in support to women and their children. The Lotus family provides support for these families to heal and grow, so that they may get back on their feet and rebuild their lives and regain independence.

On our day of service, we helped “behind the scenes” in the kitchen prepping meals, on the loading dock cleaning and organizing, in the donation closet inventorying, and in the common area sanitizing. While these tasks don’t help a tenant directly, it facilitates daily operation of the shelter. Which in turn allows the shelter staff to work more efficiently and effectively.

My team and I were first stationed at the loading dock. We sorted through former tenants’ belongings that were left behind. A couple items were able to be reused, but most of the items were to be discarded. Once the truck was fully loaded, we scrubbed the floors and wiped the shelves. A delivery of emergency COVID-19 supplies arrived. We organized those supplies on the shelves. The loading dock was squeaky clean and ready for use.

I was then tasked with sorting and organizing a couple boxes of donations in the gift closet. The staff explained that gifts aren’t only for Christmas. They use this present stock year-round on birthdays, milestones, graduation, holidays, raffles, etc. It’s important that the tenants, especially the children, feel happy and loved at the shelter. Many of the mothers are not able to afford a birthday gift for their child, so the shelter is ready to put a smile their face.

We were invited to eat lunch at the shelter’s cafeteria. It was such a pleasure to meet more of the shelter’s staff members. We were also thanked by many tenants for being there and for our hard work.

On our last task, we were able to get a bigger glimpse of the shelter. We went floor by floor sanitizing the tables, chairs, and sofas in the common areas and family rooms. We could tell the messier floors were the children’s floors. We met one boy who was looking for help on his math homework, but unfortunately, we had to go.

It was a great experience at the Lotus House. The atmosphere was light and lively despite all the sad stories that lead each person there. The shelter is definitely a place I will be volunteering at again.

Chicken Key Turtle Sculpture

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seafood Festival at the Deering Estate was canceled. Nevertheless, we were still able to construct our project! Our team wanted to piece together trash collected from Chicken Key into a turtle sculpture. The project would reflect on all the liter in our ocean, and how it is affecting our marine life. We wanted to raise awareness on the issue of pollution. Nicole Patrick partnered with The Deering Estate to organize and host frequent clean ups of the key right off the estate. This one little island was being cleaned almost every weekend, and still there is so much trash that incessantly washes up there. That is one island, imagine everywhere else.

Student Bio

Hi! My name is Lemuel Fernandez, and I am a Junior at Florida International University studying Biological Sciences. I was born in Cuba but raised in Miami.  My goal in life is to become a Physician Assistant and give back to a community that has given me so much. Through Finding Miami, I hope further to understand the history of this extremely diverse city in order to adequately provide quality healthcare to its residents in the future.

Who/How

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteering opportunities have been scarce. As a Pre-PA student, shadowing opportunities have been unavailable as most healthcare professionals have been using Telehealth or are unable to bring students into their practice due to the inherent risk of exposure for patients and staff. Fortunately, my class and I were able to volunteer with the Deering Estate and with the help of Professor Bailly and our TA Annette Cruz, we were able to participate in a unique experience and help clean up Chicken Key. This opportunity was very meaningful because it not only gave us an experience that many Miami residents don’t have a chance to experience, it also gave us a chance to help the environment. During the pandemic, because humans have been distancing in public and home whenever possible, life has returned to various places around the world. In Venice, canals became clear enough to see the marine life swimming around. In California, a coyote was walking around the streets of San Francisco. We need to be mindful of how our activities are affecting the ecosystem around us and take care of it, at the end of the day, it will come back to affect us too. This project allowed my class and I to make a small, meaningful difference by picking up debris on Chicken Key. At the end of the activity, we removed over ten trash bags full of plastic, glass, rubber, and even brought back a tire. Our effort may have saved an animal’s life.

Why

Chicken Key is an uninhabited barrier island in Biscayne Bay, about one mile offshore from the Deering Estate. As a barrier island, it is prone to receiving countless amounts of ocean debris from nearby cities, especially South Beach. As a tourist destination, South Beach generates tons of waste, some of which is not disposed of properly and floats away to nearby areas such as Chicken Key. With spring break just ending, this excursion to help clean up the island was more important than ever. Not to mention it was a great way for us to disconnect from our daily lives and just take a minute to enjoy the outdoors and clean up at the same time. It was a win-win situation for us and the environment. As a Biology major, volunteering to clean up the environment was immensely important because if not removed, ocean debris can affect the ecosystem on the island and put the lives of countless animals at risk.

Where & What

At ten AM on the day of our excursion, my classmates and I, accompanied by our Professor and TA, set course for Chicken Key. As you look towards Chicken Key from the yacht turning basin at the Deering Estate, it seemed as if it would take us a full day to kayak out there. When I first got on the kayak, the first thing I though off was this is crazy. I wouldn’t classify myself as a confident kayaker; my only experience with kayaks had been on the beach in shallow waters, barely 10 feet from the shore. Our destination this time was about one mile into Biscayne Bay. I really thought that for sure I was going to be the first one to crash into the mangroves due to the current or wind. To my surprise, the water was not deep at all. Although there was a light breeze, the water was as still as glass, which made navigating towards the island a breeze. As we got closer to the island, I noticed how clear the water was; you could see the floor of the bay with ease, which definitely helped with the fear of encountering various marine species that call the bay their home. Undisturbed by man, the Watters surrounding Chicken Key were crystal clear. Unfortunately, the inside of the island told a different story.

Although Chicken Key is uninhabited by humans, the current coming off of South Beach carries countless of ocean debris towards the island. With spring break just ending, the amount of plastic and other debris on the island was plentiful. As expected, we found multiple pieces of plastic, glass bottles, liquor bottles. One thing that I was not expecting to find was shoes. I found several shoes and sandals, but never found the second shoe to complete the pair. Other classmates and I also found deodorant bottles, empty sunscreen cans, and even a tire; how it got there, nobody had a clue. After our search for trash was complete, we had a picnic and took a break to swim. The cold water felt great after spending time picking up trash.

As we made the journey back to the Deering Estate, we discovered a new path, one different from the way we arrived. We passed by an area in which sharks and manta rays frequent. Unfortunately, due to the low tide, we were unable to encounter any. We then made our way towards the channel that Charles Deering dredged in order to bring his yachts to his house. There, the water was deeper, waves got larger, and it became harder to steer the kayak. When the group finally reached the beginning of the channel, we took a break from paddling and allowed the current to bring us back in. Laying on a kayak and letting the current drag you was a very calming experience. It allows you to reflect on what really matters and forget about any problems which you may have. When we reached the estate, we unloaded our trash bags, took our kayaks and canoes out of the water, and stored them in their proper location for others to enjoy.

When

Summary

Overall, the Chicken Key experience was amazing. Although public excursions are not being led due to COVID, I would recommend anyone to go whenever they get a chance. It truly is an experience that many people do not have a chance to do even if it is in their own backyards. We have developed so many areas around Miami that it really is amazing being able to go to an uninhabited island which has never been developed. It gives you a glimpse to what South Florida was like and would have been like if we had not torn down mangroves and built our cities over them. The only negative thing that came out of this was that I got sunburned. My face, arm, and legs were as red as a tomato and even began to peel, but it was still worth it. Aloe vera was my best friend for about a week, but just make sure to take extra sunscreen and reapply while you are on Chicken Key. Most importantly make sure that any trash that you generate while on Chicken Key is brought back with you; you wouldn’t want to contribute more debris when the mission is to clean it up.

Citation

Miami Museums: Miami Historical Sites: The Deering Estate. deeringestate.org/. 

Mette Tommerup: Preparing for the Next Project.

STUDENT BIO

Sydielim Chong is a passionate 19-year-old student at Florida International University. Sydielim is on a pre-law track majoring in criminal justice while also applying a minor in statistics. Sydielim is a full-time tutor for Bright and Brainy Tutoring and also currently interns for Caserta and Spiriti Law Group. Sydielim also enjoys watching movies, especially thrillers, and loves going out on adventures in hopes of exploring new things all over the world. As a part of Art Society Conflict, she hopes to learn more of the valuable history behind Miami and the artistic culture rooted in the city.

WHO

Mette Tommerup

I chose to volunteer with Miami-based artist Mette Tommerup. Mette Tommerup was also the artist I interviewed and upon speaking with her for the couple of hours I did, I instantly felt a connection with her. I wanted to do something for her and with her.

Mette Tommerup was born in Denmark in 1969 and is an artist who uses both significant and critical perspectives to portray her interactive and handcrafted pieces. Tommerup’s artwork has been in many public and private collections, including The Bass, The Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), and The FIU Frost Museum of Art. Mrs. Tommerup has a bachelors and a masters of fine arts and, from a very young age, has known she had a connection with art and wanted to pursue a career in the field.

WHY

I selected this opportunity when I was coordinating with Mrs. Tommerup to meet up for our interview that I had asked her to do for another project when I first met her, at one of her exhibitions at the Locust Projects, and she had mentioned that she needed some help with a couple of things around her studio in preparation for her next big project. Truthfully, I had not found anyone or anywhere to volunteer with/at and when Mrs. Tommerup told me about this opportunity, I was just happy that I would be able to complete my semester project. However, it was once I met with Mrs. Tommerup for the interview, that we had a long conversation about so many things. We talked about her childhood, her life as an artist, what inspired her, some of her art, COVID-19 and how it has affected both of our lives, and she even had questions for me. It was at this point that I became so excited to help her and to work with her because when I spoke to her it wasn’t just a question-answer conversation. We genuinely had a good time talking together and even bonded over some coffee from Starbucks.  

HOW

I came across this opportunity in a very random and unexpected way. When my class took a trip to the Locust Projects to view her exhibit “Made by Dusk”, I absolutely fell in love with her work and I decided to interview her for one of my semester projects. Once we set up the interview, she mentioned needing some help with some things around her studio and I jumped at the opportunity since at this point, I had not found anyone or any place to volunteer with for the completion of this project. Once I actually met with her and had a conversation with her, I realized how truly amazing she is, and I became genuinely excited to work with her and help her out.

WHERE & WHAT

April 7^th, 2021

Today, I actually went to Mette Tommerup’s studio for the first time. This was the day in which I interviewed her for my other semester project. I was with her for about an hour and a half just doing the interview and then about another hour and a half while she was explaining to me what she has in the works and how I can be of help to her within the next couple of days.

April 8^th, 2021

On this day, I came into the studio for about two hours. Mette had told me she needed some help covering up some canvasses and that’s what I did. It wasn’t too much, and we had a great time anyway. We talked some more about what she is working on while covering up canvasses.

April 9^th, 2021

Today, Mette and I met up at her studio again. She needed some help cleaning up the studio and preparing all the materials for her next project, so we worked for a bit on that and then went for coffee together.

April 10^th, 2021

Today was a more productive day as Mette and I finished cleaning up the studio and setting up the materials. Mette was able to start brainstorming as to what she wanted to do. It was a really fun experience being able to work with her and seeing where she gets her ideas from and how she uses them to make something out of it.

April 11^th, 2021

Today was the last day I met with Mette Tommerup. It was a great experience, but I have to say this day was the saddest because I genuinely enjoyed working with her and helping her. She and I got along great and I will definitely miss her. I let her know that if she ever needs anything that. She can always call me, and I’d be there.

WHEN

SUMMARY

My experience working with Mette Tommerup was beyond any of my expectations. Mrs. Tommerup was always genuine, kind, and willing to help and teach me things when I didn’t know them. From the first time I met her and saw her artwork I assumed she was a spectacular person and now I can confirm it as well. She is truly an amazing artist and I applaud her for everything she does. While working with Mrs. Tommerup, I realized first-hand the work and dedication it really takes to be a successful artist, a recognized one, at that. The couple of days I spent working with her and helping her are some of the days I will always look back to and cherish. Although the work we did and the things I helped her with weren’t much, what I truly got out of the experience was better. I got to meet and truly get to know an amazing artist, her backstory, and see all the work and heart she puts into her work. This was truly an experience I will never forget.

VIDEO PROJECT
I decided to make video chronicles of FIU’s Honors College class ‘Art, Society, Conflict’ with professor and artist John W. Bailly. I thought it would be a fun experiment to document the experience as we navigate this “new normal” in-person university classes during a global pandemic. The health crisis brought many challenges to our class, multiple people at a time was a problem and many of the venues the professor would normally explored could not allow us to visit. The site specific lectures are full of rich explanations of history and culture and in this 18 minute long video I was able to extract sound from some of the lectures to give the viewer a better understanding of our class.

I am no filmmaker but I worked hard to make sure the video was appealing and viewed with ease. Many thanks for letting me experiment with my camera and allowing me to share what my lens captured during this past year. I hope you enjoy the video.

STUDENT BIO
Andrea Sofia R. Matos is a senior majoring in Art History with a minor in Photography at Florida International University. Passionate for the art and culture of the Caribbean, Latin America, and the African Diaspora, she aspires to be a curator. As part of Art Society Conflict, Andrea desires to expand her knowledge in art and the history of Florida’s most vibrant city.

Bio

Ahdriana Amandi is a junior at the honors college at Florida International University and is majoring in Psychology. As a newly transferred student from Miami Dade College, Ahdri is excited to finish her last two years at FIU and is hoping to attend graduate school to become a college professor. Outside of academics, she enjoys roller skating, reading, and traveling.  Although she has spent most of her life in Miami, Ahdri is excited to learn more about her beautiful and historic city through this course.

Who

In early February, Professor Bailly sent us a message in the class group chat telling us that a person named Cesar Becerra was looking for help from some students. Cesar Becerra is a historian/adventurer who spends a vast majority of his time educating others on learning to appreciate the beauty of Florida and the rich history the land holds. He published his book Robert Is Here: Looking East for a Lifetime (Becerra, 2015). He is currently writing his next book that discusses Mary Brickell, one of Miami’s unaccredited founders.

Why

After reading the articles shared with the class, I became interested in reaching out to Cesar and assisting him with his project. My major is in psychology, but I personally believe that broadening my experiences and treating my education in a more interdisciplinary way will help me become a stronger and more experienced individual. My future decisions will depend on how extensive my horizons are and applying/experiencing things outside of my own interests and passions has allowed me to better understand the world and my place in it. Although working with Cesar was out of my major and personal career goals, taking “Miami In Miami” has sparked an interest of preserving Miami and helping someone whose passion is to preserve Miami history felt like an excellent way to make an impact.

Where & What

Because of the ongoing pandemic and Cesar constantly traveling, all of the work I did for Cesar was done remotely. He gave me a few options on what to research on. Since his book was about how Mary Brickell deserves recognition, he wanted help to look into whether other cities in the U.S. had founders that were unaccredited or heavily debated. I chose to focus on this part of the project, and I decided to work on Cleveland, Ohio and Chicago Illinois. On the 11^th of February, Cesar gave me a script so I could email/contact historians and anyone else I could find to conduct a short interview on their respective founder.

I decided that I would start writing up information on the two cities I chose, and that I would eventually hear back from the people I contacted. While researching for Cesar, I learned such interesting information about the founders of Cleveland and Chicago.

General Moses Cleaveland is best remembered as the founder of Cleveland, Ohio. Despite only being in Cleveland for five months, am eight-foot bronze statue was erected in his honor by the Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve on the 100th anniversary of his death. Cleaveland was one of the 36 founders in Connecticut Land Co., and was in charge of negotiating land rights with the indigenous people there, as well as leading expeditions in uncharted territories. Cleaveland supposedly promised the indigenous people their safety and gave them whiskey in exchange for exploring the Cuyahoga River (“Cleveland, Moses”, N.d.)

When you google “Chicago’s founder”, Jean Baptise Dusable’s name picture pop up as the first result. This, however, was not always the case. Author Lerone Bennet Jr. went as far as to call Dusable “the biggest secret of Chicago” in an in interview with WWTW. At the time of this interview, settler John Kinzie was considered to be the founder of the city, and even had a bridge, main street, and building named after him, and Jean Dusable and his family’s mark were nearly forgotten (“John H Kinzie”, 2021). Thankfully, due to work done by historians such as Lerone Bennet jr. and Dr. Christopher Reed, Chicago’s true founder now has a place in Chicago’s, and the United States’, history books.

During this time, I contacted over 10 organizations/Individuals in each city and included follow ups. Only one historical society answered me back, and their response was to check their database. It was frustrating to not be able to get in contact with anyone, and Cesar’s response to my reply was that it was not uncommon to have no one reach back out. It was ironic to think that the idea of the book is to encourage others to learn more about figures that help create their cities, but during this process I was unable to directly contact anyone, despite calling ad emailing. Thankfully, however, the information I found on the two founders was fairly detailed and I was able to turn in a paper about the two, which Cesar appreciated. Cesar was also in the process of writing other parts of the book and I was able to get a preview of the introduction, as well as the “behind the scenes” process of writing a book. It has been very interesting to see the process that many go through when they want to publish their writing.

Summary

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed working with Cesar during this process, and I am grateful that I was able to help contribute to Miami history. My only regret or thing that didn’t work was that as a full time student and employee this semester, it was difficult to find time to volunteer and I would’ve liked to dedicate more time to this project. Thankfully, however, Cesar was very accommodating, and the volunteering was extremely flexible.  Because I liked working with Cesar, I told him that I would like to continue to volunteer with him during the summer, and he even offered to pay me to help him with spreading the word about his book to different historical societies and organizations. I’m excited to see the book get published and released, and I hope that others are inspired to question the origins of their own cities.

Works Cited

Burr, Robert. “William and Mary Brickell – the Australian Connection”. 2020.     https://www.mpnod.org/events/william-and-mary-brickell-the-australian-connection/

“Cleveland, Moses”.  N.d. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/cleavelandmoses

“John H Kinzie”. (2021). Chicagology. https://chicagology.com/biographies/johnhkinzie/

Lepri, Katie. “Julia Tuttle May Not Be The Only Mother Of Miami. Could Mary Brickell Be One, Too?” 2019. https://www.wlrn.org/news/2019-03-07/julia-tuttle-may-not-be-the-only-mother-of-miami-could-mary-brickell-be-one-too

Artist quote

“My prescription has always been “are other people comfortable with what I have to say?”  

Eddie Arroyo, March 2021

Student Biography

Daniela Canizares is a Sophomore at Florida International University, majoring in Psychology. She was born in Cuba but moved to Miami when she was 15 years old. After graduating, she is planning on becoming a School Counselor.

Artist Biography

Eddie Arroyo was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting in 2001.     

Even though he was living in Miami, this did not influence his choice of FIU as his university. “It was my only option back then; I was not thinking that far ahead”, Arroyo says when asked about the influence living in Miami had over him picking FIU over any other university. Back in 1995 when Mr. Arroyo started attending FIU, the school was mainly a business school. At first, he was a business major. It was not until after taking an art class with professor John Bailly that he decided to focus on painting. Besides professor Bailly, he also mentions professor Edward Hopper as a key figure in his decision to become a painter. He says professors Bailly and Cooper were his biggest inspirations when deciding to switch majors.    

Personal Identity

When asked if all the manifestations going on in the world right now regarding gender have had any influence on his work at the moment, Arroyo says that when one paints, there is an emotional component to it. He is very much interested in bringing this component out when reflecting this. Regarding his opinions as to nowadays issues, he finds it interesting, even refreshing. He says that when he was going into the art community in the early 2000s-2010s, the society was in the middle of the color-blind moment, where money, class or race was not an issue. He finds it refreshing because back then, he was feeling the tension whenever people had an opinion on what he was doing and saying at the moment. It was not always the case that art was related to political issues. He feels like his artwork is not political itself. More like in the world we are in right now, it is trendy to politicize everything surrounding us. He says that when talking about his work, he finds himself at a very strange place because everybody is interested in the political meaning behind it. He is not used to talking about his artwork in those terms. However, he says he has no problem talking about politics, he is just strange about it.    

Cultural Identity

When asked how important was the cultural identity for him, Mr. Arroyo says that when creating art, he does not find himself within the “cultural identity” terms. He sees it more as the place he finds himself at at a given moment. He sees it as the context you as a person find yourself in. For example, if you were to live in Paris, you will have your own identity based on experiences. What you have learned will change who you are as a person. He is aware of this phenomenon and term. However, before talking about it, he would like to understand his place on it. This does have an impact on his job. However, the greatest impact is not only on where he is, but the moment as well, and what needs to be done at a particular time.   

Subject of Artwork

When Eddie Arroyo is creating art, he says he feels identified with a particular moment more than anything. The country and region are already portrayed on the canvas, but the moment itself is what he is interested in: what caused that “moment”, and the steps it took to lead that decision, which is what he likes to talk about concerning work.   

He bases his artwork around the process of gentrification. As he explains it himself, gentrification is a process where wealthier people take over neighborhoods where mainly people of low income live at. He likes to portray this as it is the cruel reality we are living in, not only in Miami but in the whole world. It is a controversial topic, but he feels like it needs to be talked about. It exists. It is happening. It should not be ignored. This problem leads to the many homeless we see in the streets. It has been existing, but now it is the moment to take action over it.

When asked why he does not tend to use bright colors for his work, Arroyo says that he likes to use neutral hues to give an idea of the quiet, thoughtful moment that he is trying to depict. He likes to point out that now and then he will have a piece of work that is brighter than others, but there is always a grey-ish tone to them. He explains he does this to give people a more meditated piece of art. It is always done in a position where he hopes to give his audience a meditated work and based on his experiences, he feels like painting has always been a very meditated process.

Exhibition and Project History

Besides his past jobs at the Whitney Museum of Art, in New York, and the Spinello Project, in Miami, recently he had an exhibition where two paintings were at the New York Academy of Arts. The paintings shown came from an exhibition he already had on the Spinello last year, called “Safe Space” in response to the George Floyd movement. Most of it was centered in Miami and the demonstrations happening around his neighborhood at the Design District. He explains that he went down there after the riots, and started creating a series of paintings based on the pictures he took of the place. When he was asked to exhibit at the New York Academy of Arts, he was still in contact with someone active in organizations he met through the Whitney Museum of Arts. He says he was not sure about showing that kind of job in a museum because of how controversial it could have been, but he is glad the museum accepted it and he is glad about where is at right now.  

He briefly mentions that pretty much everything that is going on in the world right now (political-wise), happened after George Floyd. He says that right now in the art world, there is that sensitivity to race, class, and, culture. His point of view on it is that it has been discussed before. However, right now, it is a whole new conversation, “it is being trendy”. He says that he is interested to see how these movements are going to transcend, economically speaking, for everybody, and how is the world going to work after it. He is very skeptical about the topic in general.  

Something that surprised me about Eddie, is that he says he used to be ignored for making people feel uncomfortable with what he had to say. “Once you start making people feel uncomfortable, they tend to walk away”, Eddie says.  He explains: “As a society, and whatever background you are talking about, socially, we are not conditioned to talk about controversial topics, which makes it very complex for artists”. However, he strongly suggests these “emotional labels” should be left aside and talk about them.  

When asked about what he would consider his most important experience, without a single doubt he says that it would be being invited to the Whitney Museum of Arts. He thought it was going to be another group exhibition, even though in his head he knew it was not going to be like that: it was New York, the Whitney is one of the most important events. However, he was trying not to stress that much over it.    

Student Perspective

Being able to have this interview with Eddie Arroyo was a great experience. I contacted him through Instagram and despite all the inconveniences with COVID, he was more than willing to have an interview with me through Zoom, especially after I mentioned I was a student from Florida International University. Seeing how fellow graduates help each other once they get out of college makes me see that we are a big family. He was pretty helpful and patient, since the audio in my computer kept going on and off. After we finished the interview, he sent me links regarding what was going on in the world right now, as I showed enthusiasm when he was giving me his point of view on these topics.  

Having to research before interviewing him, taught me different terms I had never heard before. For example, his main technique, gentrification, was a world I did not know about. Even though I had researched before, he was more than welcome to explain it to me in a way where I could better understand it, and not just read it off the google search bar.   

While researching before the interview, I got to see his paintings for the first time, and right after the interview, I took a look at them again. The colors, the textures, the painting as a whole, tells a story of the pain the community is going through. Something I specifically liked about his art, was that he does not discriminate when he is showing these movements. In some of them, he even shows the Latino community, and has some signs in Spanish. For me, it was great to see this group being portrayed.   

Through Arroyo’s art, the audience can sense so many of the political and social issues going on in the United States nowadays. However, he tries to turn the views towards what is going on in Miami. Something I found curious while interviewing him is how different he is from others artists. Instead of going to the place to paint at the moment, he rather takes pictures and later puts his thoughts and visions on a canvas.  

I had never interviewed anybody, and having the pleasure to interview Mr. Arroyo was a unique opportunity. I learned a lot about why he uses neutral hues. It is all about the artist’s perspective, but once it gets to the public, it is open to their imagination. However, that much “openness” surprised me a lot. When he said he was happy movements like the ones going on around the world are happening, I was shocked. It might be tough times for people right now, but for artists, it is the perfect moment to expand their collection. They can show so many emotions throughout a painting.   

This interview was mostly educational; however, it opened my eyes to a completely new perspective. Having to spend most of my college experience online, has not given me enough opportunities to reach out to others, especially, other people outside my major. I love learning about the history of a community and since I am not from Miami, being able to see this community from another person’s point of view is always a magnificent opportunity. Having the pleasure to interview him, made me eager about learning what is going on in the world right now, and what can we do to call for action. Even the minimal act can make a big impact. A painting, for example, can reach out to others and show them what needs to be done. It is a call for action.   

It was great to see people who went to the same school as I am going to right now, be successful and follow their dreams. It makes me think that as long as you have the strength to follow your passion, you can do it. The key is to never give up. 

References

“Eddie Arroyo.” Eddie Arroyo – 85 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy, http://www.artsy.net/artist/eddie-arroyo.

New York Academy of Art, “Eddie Arroyo Artist Talk.” New York Academy of Art, 19 Nov. 2019, nyaa.edu/eddie-arroyo-artist-talk.

“Spinello.” Spinelloprojects.com, spinelloprojects.com/artist/eddie-arroyo/.

https://eddiearroyo.com/

STUDENT BIO

Rachel Pasteris is a junior working towards a B.A. in Mathematics Education at Florida International University (FIU), as part of FIU Honors. Passionate about education, she is looking to specialize in teaching secondary and college students in the subject areas of mathematics and science. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, making music, playing soccer, spending time with loved ones, and volunteering in her community.

GEOGRAPHY

Though this area used to be referred to as West Dade, since the limits of Miami-Dade County seem to be ever-expanding, Westchester is now more central, most likely considered to lie within the midwest area of Miami. Its boundaries have also lessened the scope of land which used to be considered Westchester, leaving places like Westchester General Hospital, which used to be a part of the area, pushed outside its up-to-date designated boundaries. Its current area is 4.015 mi², with its elevation 3′ above sea level.

At the northern boundary is US 41, better known as Tamiami Trail, as well as 8th street or “Calle Ocho.” At the southern boundary is SR 976, better known as 40th street or “Bird Road.” At the western boundary is 117th avenue. At the eastern boundary is SR 826, better known as “Palmetto Expressway.”

The center of Westchester is at the intersection of 24th street, “Coral Way,” and 87th avenue, “Galloway Road.” Since Westchester has only officially been designated for nearly 20 years now, most of the land is used for residential neighborhoods as well as businesses and institutions. With a “perfect urban-suburban balance”, as Miami Herald article “Convenience, schools make Westchester worth a look” put it, it hosts famous franchises (e.g., Burger King, KFC, McDonald’s, El Palacio de Los Jugos, Taco Bell, Wendy’s) and local legends (e.g., Burger Beast, Martha of Miami, Only in Dade, Pitbull, Rev. Jorge Comesañas) as well as local family-owned shops and restaurants (e.g., Arbetter’s Hot Dogs, Bird Bowl, Frankie’s Pizza, Rio Cristal). Most of Westchester’s open spaces set aside by Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation for greenery is found on grounds of local public schools as well as the local public library. A lot of local residents embrace the natural landscape as well, with plenty of flora and fauna to be seen even from street view. Flora includes banyan, flamboyan, palm, sea grape, silk floss, and fruit trees (e.g., avocados, ciruelas, coconuts, mangoes), as well as bougainvillea, hibiscus, ixora, and plumeria flowers. Fauna includes iguanas, foxes, lizards, and, of course, stray cats.

Now that the geography has been surveyed, let’s dive deeper into the history of Westchester.

HISTORY

As it was subject to seasonal rains and flooding, under the 1862 Homestead Act, the land, like many areas of Miami-Dade County, was deemed ineligible to be developed in the 19th century. However, by the 1920, canal construction changed all this, the area then turned dry land as a result of the innovation. One residential subdivision was created—Olympic Heights, in 1924—despite the land boom era in South Florida. With the exception of Tropical Park racetrack and Tamiami airport (The Tower at FIU is the former air traffic control tower for Tamiami Airport, Tamiami Park is home to the Miami-Dade County Fair), the area we know today as Westchester was largely rural until the 1950s.

Post-WWII development boom, in 1955, a subdivision called Westchester served as inspiration for the neighborhood name, though the 1960s offered other subdivisions (e.g., Miracle Manor, Mirador, Westchester Park, Town Park, Coral Park) to make up what is largely the residential neighborhood we see today. During the same era, the area also experienced growth in commercial development, including notable sites such as the Tropicaire Drive-In in 1949 (now home to Best Buy, Publix, Target), Bird Bowl in 1956 (the only of these still remaining), and Westchester Shopping Center in 1959 (over time, changed to Kmart, now home to Walmart).

When Florida Senator Robert M. Haverfield introduced Senate Bill 711 in 1965, the area saw another major addition as they began planning for the development of a state university in Miami. As mentioned beforehand, after the Tamiami Airport closed by the late 1960s, the the new Florida International University was selected for the site, which, in 1972, had the largest opening enrollment in U.S. collegiate history, with 5,667 students. Today, FIU is among the top ten largest universities in the nation, with a student body nearly 59,000 as of 2019–20 enrollment. Tamiami Park, home to the Miami-Dade County Fair, still offers equestrian centers, as well as baseball, football, swimming, and tennis, in addition to the option for visitors to bike, walk, run, utilize the fitness, boxing, even attend a attend a farmer’s market.

Another educational institution was in the works: the Diocese of Miami, requiring that a seminary be founded within the diocese limits. Thus, St. John Vianney Seminary construction started in the late 1950s. Other Catholic schools, including St. Brendan Elementary and High School and Christopher Columbus High School, and churches, including St. Brendan and St. Agatha, were developed afterwards as well.

As mentioned beforehand, today, the area is predominantly residential, along with business and institutions. Thus is the “History of the Westchester Neighborhood,” with the help of a Memorandum dated August 11, 2020, per the request of Commissioner Javier D. Souto.

DEMOGRAPHICS

The population of Westchester is nearly 30,000 residents, according to the 2019 ACS 5-Year Estimates Dates Profiles.

When analyzing sex and age, it shows that, considering represented values indicated 46.3% are males while 53.7% are females, 4.5% are under 5 years old, 16.1% are under 18 years old, and 23.2% are 65 years old and older, leaving a majority of 60.7% between the ages of 18 and 65 years old.  Westchester’s median household income is $55,660 and 14.6% are living in poverty.  The cultural roots of Westchester grew more Hispanic or Latino after the 1960s, now with a population that is over 80% Hispanic.  As of 2019, its residents are 90.7% Hispanic or Latino, leaving only 9.3% identifying as otherwise.  In fact, as of 2000, Westchester had the highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US with 65.69% of its populace, Hialeah having the second highest percentage with 62.12% of its populace.  Soon enough, the Westchester Cultural Arts Center will be constructed in Tropical Park, providing cultural programming and instruction focusing on Hispanic arts and culture in celebration of Westchester’s Hispanic heritage.  I often hear people refer to Miami as “North Cuba,” with an entire webpage on Quora dedicated to offering an answer to the question, “Why do people say that Miami is North Cuba?”  Now I can see why that may be the case, especially in Westchester.  When it comes to the most Cuban place in Miami, as an article from Miami Herald titled “Please don’t confuse Westchester with Kendall. It’s so much better.” concurs on this matter, “The realest of the real know Westchester truly deserves the title.”

All statistics are courtesy of the United States Census Bureau unless otherwise indicated with a hyperlink.

Resident Interview

Carmen is an 80-year old Cuban-American who is currently enjoying her retirement. Upon visiting her in her current home (formerly Westchester, presently University Park) I had the opportunity to interview her as one of Westchester’s residents on her perspective of her neighborhood. Though the area in which she now resides is currently considered University Park, she visits Westchester frequently to attend church services and spend time with loved ones.

Since this interview was conducted in what I would call “Spanglish,” the unofficial language of Westchester as well as the rest of Miami, I will provide both direct quotes and translated paraphrases.

Question 1: Where are you from and how long have you lived in Westchester?

“Yo nací en Artemisa, Pinar del Río. Pero mis papeles está Los Palacios, Pinar del Río, y es donde me escribieron legalmente.”

It was also said that she moved to Westchester in 1982, renting two different houses before moving into her current home in 1987. Though she technically lived in what is now considered Westchester for roughly 5 years, she has lived in the area for nearly 40 years.

Question 2: What’s it like living in Westchester?

“I love it. Yeah, I love it. It’s nice. It’s not too…muy, mucho movimiento, pero vaya no como el centro, pero buen…neighborhood, a good neighborhood here, good schools, everything, stores, everything. I love this place. Yeah.”

Question 3: What’s your favorite thing to do in Westchester?

“Si te digo que me gusta hacer en Westchester, trabajar en mi patio, en el jardín de mis casa y un parque atrás (Westbrook Park). I love this house. Yo vivo aquí en el nineteen-eighty-seven, in this house.”

Question 4: Out of all Westchester, what’s the best thing about it?

“Bueno, aquí trabajamos, aquí tenemos nuestro trabajo aquí mismo en Westchester, y, era un buen lugar para los hijos estudiar, bueno colegios, la iglesia, dónde trabajamos. Era un bueno lugar para vivir.”

Question 5: Out of all Westchester, what’s the worst thing about it?

“Yo no oigo nada malo en Westchester.”

Upon further inquiry, both Carmen and her daughter, Amy, informed me of other local lore as well, which will be discussed under the church and library portions of this page.

LANDMARKS

While Westchester does not have relatively any museums or monuments to offer its residents and visitors, there are some notable landmarks that most in the area would recognize. The majority of these may be seen included in the Westchester mural shown later on. I have highlighted three unmistakable landmarks here.

“The Whale” or “La Ballena” church

There has been some speculation about its strange shape, as the architecture is said to have been inspired by the Biblical tale of Jonah and the whale.

Planted by Rev. Jorge Comesañas with his wife, Carmen Comesañas, the First Baptist Church of Coral Park purchased their current mid-century modern seemingly whale-shaped building from Temple Or Olom, with Rabbi Samuel April as one of the early leaders, as the area had attracted Jewish families during the late 1950s and early 1960s as Westchester grew. Though they had several sizable offers, they did not want their precious synagogue to be torn down to construct more shopping malls. Instead, they were more than willing to part with the property for Coral Park, knowing their building would be preserved for future generations to cherish its ingoing service as a house of worship. I wouldn’t be surprised if down the line, the National Register of Historic Places would designate the place to be preserved indefinitely. Hopefully one day, just maybe, I’ll live to see that come into fruition.

The church not only has Coral Park Christian Academy, a Christian private elementary school (next to a public high school, Miami Coral Park Senior High School), but also rents their facilities out on Saturdays to The Miami Hoshuko, Inc. (マイアミ補習校 Maiami Hoshūkō), a supplementary weekend Japanese school, where they hold classes (the school offices located in Doral).

In this photo, you can see Rev. Jorge Comesañas working in his office filled with his collection of gifted whales, which started when his daughter, Amy, bought the large gold figure pictured on the mid-right to create a brown replica out of clay to resemble the bronze-colored state of the building at the time in her pottery class at FIU. In 2010, it was announced on the local news that Senator Soto, as Jorge and Carmen’s youngest son, Pastor Alex, read, urged “the Florida legislator to codesignate SW 87th Avenue from 8th street to SW 24th street as Rev. Jorge Comesañas Way.” Luckily, he was able to hear the news before he passed away from brain cancer October 2011.

Since “The Whale” is on Ram Road as well, let’s take a quick detour as to why that is today. The street was promptly changed back to Ram Road, in honor of the local high school’s mascot. One of the notable alumni from this high school was José Canseco Capas Jr., a Cuban-American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and designated hitter. As a professional baseball he won honors, including Rookie of the Year in 1986, Most Valuable Player award in 1988, a six-time All Star, on top of becoming a two-time World Series champion, as well as the Silver Slugger award four times. After watching Netflix’s Screwball, I can now better comprehend the gravity of the steroid scandal. Canseco was one of many players who fessed up to having used performance enhanced drugs, and he actually published a tell-all book called Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big in 2005 creating even more issues for the community by bringing it all to light. Despite all of this, due to the drama now associated with his name, including a relatively recent mishap concerning tweets about politicians and sexual molestation back in 2018, the neighborhood reverted the decision they had made to name this specified portion of 16th street after him with a name change back to Ram Road, causing the county to consider background checks for street names.

“Welcome to Westchester”

While there exists two “Welcome to Westchester” signs, one outshines the other in its presentation.  However, for those who are willing to drive around town to have some fun scavenger hunting, there is a GEOCACHE located at the site of the second sign.

Bird Bowl

No one passing through can miss seeing the sizable Bird Bowl sign located off of Bird Road.  In addition to bowling, this place offers billiards, arcade, karaoke, and more, providing fun for all ages for the past 65 years, since it was established in 1956.  With competitive pricing for hourly rates and party packages, this popular locale has outlasted many others that have since faded away from this neighborhood.

Green

Green through parks, recreation, and open spaces are not exactly a forte of Westchester either. There is only one that exists outside of an educational institution with the local library, which I will delve into in another section. For the sake of borders, I will not include Tropical Park here, which would technically reside within the current limits of Olympia Heights. Nonetheless, the majority of them share property with public school grounds, which I will highlight here.

Banyan Park

Located on 30 Street & 87 Avenue, Banyan Park sits in the backyard of Banyan Elementary School.  As one can assume by its name, the park is lined with banyan trees around its perimeter.  There is a walkway suitable for walking, jogging, running, biking, roller skating/blading, and so on.  A playground set is also available for children to play on as parents can sit on the benches provided to watch them comfortably.

Most interestingly, there are signs that read, “NATURE ALERT: HAWK NESTING IN PARK,” outlining natural behaviors (“actively hunting to feed their young, protecting a large area of the park, including walkways near trees and open green fields.”) as well defenses (““dive bombing” and making territorial calls.”) to expect if the opportunity were to arise.  It advises visitors to “enjoy from a distance, avoid area until the baby hawk(s) flee the nest.”  It concludes with the following statement: “This hawk has been a resident of this community for many years.”  How sweet is that?  They consider these hawks the same way one would consider their neighbors, so much so that they care to inform others to take care as well and be on the lookout.

Coral Estates Park

Located on 1405 SW 97 Avenue, Coral Estates Park sits in the backyard of Coral Park Elementary School.  As is typical for almost any public park, a playground set is available for children to play on while parents can sit on the benches provided to watch them comfortably.  It has several amenities to offer for the enjoyment of the community, including a baseball field, recreation center, soccer field (no lights), as well as a tennis court.  The open areas, shelter, baseball field, soccer field, and recreation room may be reserved, with multiples rates to choose from.  In addition, funded by The Children’s Trust and offered by Parks Disability, an after-school care program is available for children with disabilities ages 6-21.  These children have the opportunity to participate in activities, including included physical fitness, literacy, art and music, during the after-school session on a rotating schedule.  They also provide homework help.

Rockway Park

Located on 9460 SW 27 Drive, Rockway Park sits in the backyard of Rockway Elementary School & Rockway Middle School.  In addition to the standard playground set, they offer several programs, including Fit2Play Afterschool Program (qualifying families can receive financial aid), Fit2Lead Youth Enrichment and Sports (Y.E.S.) Program, Fit2Play Winter Camp, Fit2Play Spring Camp, Summer Camp, as well as Learn-to-Swim (taught to swim by certified American Red Cross Water Safety Instructors), with their pool facility open year-round (not taking into consideration current COVID-19 pandemic restrictions for the public).

Transportation

Primary modes of transportation in the area are walking, biking, and driving, and, since Westchester hasdirect access to the Interstates from Bird Road, this can take you to hotpots such as Miami International Airport, the Port of Miami, Downtown, the Beaches, among many others.  Many people also take advantage of the public transit systems, including the Metrobus, Metrorail, Metromover, and more.  In an attempt to beat daily traffic, one could also hop on the frequent local circulator Westchester Circulator (Route 82), Westchester’s own bus trolley system, providing convenient stops (from Tropical Park to FIU Maidique Campus Metrobus terminal) throughout the community for just 25¢ a ride!  The Westchester Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in the creation of the “Westchester Circulator” trolley system, and they continue to work as an advocate of mass-transit with various governmental bodies.  While the Westchester Circulator continues to be a popular transportation component of the community, there is also talk of a new and innovative car sharing system, as it is used in other others and could be a great addition to the area.

Food

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Westchester is known for a variety of Hispanic and Latino cuisine, including Cuban, Colombian, Salvadoran, Chilean, Mexican, and so on. Some legacy businesses still surviving, alive and well today, include Arbetter’s Hot Dogs (1959, current located 1970) as well as Frankie’s Pizza (1955). Several award winning restaurants, now with moved and/or multiple locations, made their start in Westchester, including Mojo Donuts & Fried Chicken, Nunzio’s Ristorante, PINCHO, Rio Cristal, Tropical Chinese, and so on. Aside from these honorable mentions, here I have highlighted three of my personal favorites.

Graziano’s Restaurants & Markets

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“They say that Argentina is the Italy of South America.“

Located on 9227 SW 40th Street, Graziano’s Ristorante is the place to be to get churrasco asado. I’d also highly recommend watching the film “Todo sobre el asado” if you are interesting in learning anything about the rich history behind Argentinian grilling. The documentary describes the experience as such: “Roasting is a meal and a ritual. It is primitive and contemporary, wild and refined, an art and a science.” This place has almost as much pride as the country itself. The owners take pride not only in their country, but in their asado as well. If you’re ever in the area, be sure to check out their market as well, filled with Argentinian goods and fresh food from their bakery, butcher, deli, and panini shop.

Mojo Donuts & Fried Chicken

Located on 8870 SW 40th Street, Mojo Donuts has award winning donuts, as seen on Guy Fieri’s Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Any other competition in the greater Miami area dims in comparison to their fresh gourmet doughnuts that are “sweet, salty and everything in between,” as they offer a wide variety of flavors. Not only that, but in addition to the best doughnuts in the area, they offer savory fried chicken and coffee drinks as well, notably their chicken brûlée sandwich and hot chocolate. As they’ve proven themselves, with a good product, being inventive can pay off.

PINCHO

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“One of the country’s best burgers is from Miami — again.”

Located on 9860 SW 40th Street, the original Pincho Factory restaurant features a mural dedicated to the history of Westchester.  As you can see, it is packed with local nostalgia inducing references, including the now relocated Rio Cristal original restaurant. They have won several awards, mostly recently winners of the 2019 Food Network SOEBEWFF Burger Bash, 2019 Miami Newtimes Burgerfest, 2019 BurgerBeast Hamburger House Party, 2019 Burgerlicious, and many more. Besides their ponchos, they offer innovative take on the classic sandwich, including the Pincho burger (topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese, potato sticks, and our secret pink sauce), the Fritanga burger (topped with fried white cheese, cabbage slaw, and crema), and the Toston burger (two fried plantains as the “buns,” then topped with jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and homemade cilantro sauce).

BUSINESSES

What Westchester lacks in other areas, it more than makes up for with the widespread array of unique businesses it has to offer. Some legacy businesses still surviving, alive and well today, include Bird Bowl (1956) as well as Yesterday and Today Records (1981). Taking a look at what remains in modern day Miami, here are three highlighted locales.

Westchester Regional Library & “Francisco” Human Rights Park

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I would say out of all the libraries in Miami, Westchester Regional Library (formerly known as West Dade Regional Library) is second only to the Main Library located in Downtown.  My love for reading was nurtured here, in these walls, throughout my childhood.  Every now and then I still try to visit when I can, last time I went to checkout the book The Prince of Los Cocuyos, a memoir of Richard Blanco’s childhood set in Westchester during the late 1970’s and ‘80s.

After all these years, I did not know that “Francisco” Human Rights Park had domino tables! Here I thought they were just for sitting around, but no, you can actually check out domino sets, conveniently available inside the library at the front desk, and play away in the day, right then and there! How amazing is that? It’s just so “Miami” I almost can’t believe it myself. It’s so ingenious. It’s the little things in life, you know?

Anyways, back to the point of the park. If a visitor walks around, they can see several stones with info-packed plaques dedicated to significant individuals who served vital roles in human rights movements along the walkways, including the Father Miguel Angel Loredo Domino Pavilion and Vaclav Havel Rotunda. What a great message for the next generations! Hopefully we as well as they will be able to continue to honor their memories and follow in their footsteps towards building a brighter future.

During the interview with Carmen, I asked her a follow up question on a story I had heard during my childhood, to which she responded in affirmation. Santeria, considering by many to be simply satanic devil worshipping, though it translates to English as “way of the saints,” is defined by Oxford Languages as “a pantheistic Afro-Cuban folk religion developed from the beliefs and customs of the Yoruba people and incorporating some elements of the Catholic religion.”  “Pero no me molestan, eso es en todo del Miami…son los Cubanos que trajeron,” replies Carmen, as Britannica confirms that it was “developed in Cuba and then spread throughout Latin America and the United States.” One of this tree’s common names is “Palo Borracho” or “Drunken Tree.” The phrase palo borracho directly translates to “drunken stick.” Because these deciduous trees, native to the subtropical areas of South America, drink up water when it is abundant and store it, their trunks have the swollen beer-belly shape. It is sort of fitting then that the Santeros choose landmarks like these to conduct their rituals and offer their sacrifices to their many gods. My best friend who lives a couple blocks away from me also had the joy of having their neighbors (promptly removed from the property) who were renting the house behind theirs chanting in their backyard with their fellow Santeros late at night and leaving behind a goat head on their curb they were met with the following mornings ever so often.

Santa’s Enchanted Forest

Featuring over 100 rides, games, shows and attractions, Santa’s Enchanted Forest—the world’s largest holiday themed park—is one of Westchester’s claims to fame. Though a lot of their rides, acrobats & magic shows, plus traditional carnival food, are all similar to those The Fair already offers in the hot spring break, the cooler winter break has some merits, with beautiful Christmas lights strung throughout the treetops of Tropical Park to brighten the night and odd themed displays that allow you to pose atop a surfboard as you pretend to ride the wave alongside a Santa statue; can’t really beat that photo op anywhere else in Miami. Though some may rather save their money for a trip to Disney World, if you ever have the opportunity to go, this seasonal amusement park is open from Halloween night on October 31 up until the first week of January.

Only in Dade

If you live in Miami, you may recognize Only in Dade from their popular Instagram page, with 611K followers to date. I was surprised to learn that the home of this local legend of a media/news company was right here in Westchester! They rose in popularity by reposting local relatable content. They continue to share “The Good – The Bad – The Funny” of Miami-Dade County on social media. Their employees also make an effort give back to the community, as you can see on their Only in Dade Cares Instagram page “to shine light, emphasize, and focus on content geared towards the community helping the community.”

Summary

Though I have lived here for nearly 20 years of my life (Hey, about just as long as Westchester has been official!), there is a lot more to Westchester than first meets the eye. Even though La Ballena is practically in my backyard, I really didn’t know all that much before looking into things further and taking a drive around town for myself. All it takes is a bit of digging around and, who knows, maybe you, the reader, or others, like Burger Beast with his blogpost “Many Things to do in my Hometown of Westchester in Miami” and The New Tropic with their article “Things to do: Welcome to Westchester“, would continue to add to this compilation of curiosities and hidden treasures found in Westchester has to offer over the years while it still has a presence in the great melting pot that is Miami. This is the good, the bad, and whatever else onlookers would care to add (Sergio Leone may say “the ugly” and Brendon Urie may say “the dirty,” while Only in Dade would say “the funny“). It’s not all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows everywhere; sometimes, we’re left to deal with traffic backed up on that left turn right next to Taco Bell at the center Westchester, crazy Miami drivers, fruit thieves (both animals and humans), those *special* neighbors who have their front lawns riddled with feral cats, pet feces left uncollected, stolen shopping carts abandoned on random corners, Santeria sacrifices left on the last curbs you’d expect them to be, as well as steroid scandals causing street names to be changed back to what they used to be before it all went wrong. Miami Herald can actually corroborate some of this in their article “Miami has some of the worst neighbors in the country, study says. Duh, says everyone in Miami.” Overall though, it is a decently great place to live, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

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Student Bio

Rachel Pasteris is a junior working towards a B.A. in Mathematics Education at Florida International University (FIU), as part of FIU Honors. Passionate about education, she is looking to specialize in teaching secondary and college students in the subject areas of mathematics and science. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, making music, playing soccer, spending time with loved ones, and volunteering in her community.

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who

I volunteered at The Deering Estate, one of the few remaining Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) in Miami-Dade County, in which we specifically participated in one of the organized Chicken Key Cleanups. Thanks to Nicole Patrick, a former Miami in Miami student who now works at The Deering Estate, they are able to continue organizing and hosting Chicken Key Cleanups throughout the year.

The Deering Estate’s Chicken Key is an uninhabited located inside of Biscayne Bay. A friend told me that the island is named so since the Deerings are said to have kept their chickens there, though many of them are sure to have fallen victim to local wildlife, such as alligators and crocodiles. It is there that we worked on removing debris washed onshore by the ocean waves.

Why

This specific volunteering opportunity was offered to us as students of the Miami in Miami course at FIU.  The excursion took place alongside Professor John William Bailly, Teaching Assistant Annette Cruz, as well as my fellow peers, totaling 18 individuals.

Though it did not specifically relate to my major, Mathematics Education, it does tie in with several experiences I have had in the past.  During my time at Dade, I served as vice president of the Yes! For Environmental Sustainability Club (which received the Presidential Service Award in addition to recognition from the college for contributing the most community service hours as a club at Kendall Campus during my time there).  In the spring of 2020, I traveled abroad to Austria, now a fellow of the Global Citizenship Alliance Seminar.  The topic that year focused on sustainability, in which my group in particular focused on researching and proposing solutions to the issue of soil health by presenting our findings to the seminar attendees.  Thus, environmental efforts have long been an interest of mine.  One of my newfound hobbies is actually tending to my plethora of plants, so going out in the wild on excursions like these to not only experience nature firsthand but also being able to contribute giving back by educating ourselves and organizing cleanups are always great opportunities that I eagerly welcome with open arms.

how

This opportunity far exceeded my expectations.

The flora and fauna alone were a beauty to behold in and of themselves.  There were fish swimming just about everywhere, hermit crabs scuttering away from the strange looking island visitors into the shade beneath the rocks, spiders struggling to weave their webs back together distraught that their homes were destroyed despite their hard work to build them each night after these so-called invaders took a brief claim over their territory to do some dirty work, and many more lurking about.

The connections I was able to make with fellow volunteers was also something I had not anticipated.  We discussed our roots, talked about our home loves, related with another about our relationships, our studies, our futures, our aspirations, our hopes.

In all honesty, I could not have asked for a better day to get away from it all before the onslaught of finals week took over me just a couple days later.

where & What

We kayaked/canoed in out onto the open waters from The Deering Estate to Chicken Key, fighting against the wind and the waves. After an hour or so of struggling, we all made our way back to The Deering Estate, having filled 8 canoes with debris that we collected off of Chicken Key together as a group. We helped load up the trash containers into a pickup truck and deliver their contents to the dumpster locate onsite.

There were a lot of strange items discovered onsite.  A lot of bottles and especially their caps, which took me back to my days of collecting them for our CAPture Miami sustainable art project.  These microplastics especially pose a threat to local species, as those which are threatened or endangered, like manatees, often eat them along with their desired meal unsuspectingly.  I also found a child’s plastic blue chair caught in the mangrove knees along the shoreline.  While I was getting even more lost in the mangrove forest, I found a couple ropes with what seemed to be Styrofoam tetherballs attached to their ends.  In fact, Professor Bailly even managed to retrieve an abandoned mattress on site, in which rats had made their home.  Now that they no longer have this place of refuge, it is likely that they will fall prey to local wildlife, such as birds and alligators.  This is great news, as they pose a threat to the endangered turtles who lay their eggs on the island.

When

Summary

A lot of things worked, while other things, not so much.

On one hand, canoeing to and from Chicken Key and Deering Estate was a mission in and of itself.  I had not canoed since I was in middle school, and even then, I had grown used to the one-way current riding a canoe in a river carries you in, making things much more predictable than the open ocean.  While the wind seemed to be in our favor on the trip there, only about half an hour or so, the journey back was not as kind to us, fighting the current on top of trying to paddle against the wind and the waves throwing us to and fro.  Coordinating directions with our partners also required a learning curve, muscles we may benefit from exercising in our future endeavors.

On the other hand, picking up nearly every little thing I saw did work in the favor of all, as microplastics in addition to the bigger and bulkier items pose a threat to the ecosystem.  I filled up three heavy duty trash bags myself, which, if you factor in the 18 individuals present and the eight canoes available to transport it all back to the dumpster, we were able to collect a whole lotta debris that otherwise would have kept pilling up over time.  Hopefully the flora and fauna will benefit from this and other cleanups that have been organized in the past and will be continued to occur in the future.

All in all, it was a rewarding day, to say the least. I hope to be able to return in the future to continue contributing back in ways like these cleanups.  As they say, a little goes a long way.  I had not noticed how much I had missed going out on excursions like these that not only immerse ourselves in local nature, but also help to preserve it for future generations to enjoy.  Lord-willing these will continue to run and others will be inspired to lead and keep the sustainability movement going, that we would cultivate communities from a learning locally to a growing globally.

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