English 101

Section 1290
3-22-17
Jarred Joyce
Ethnographic Essay

Although many assume a park is just a place for children to play, many residents of the

small city I call home, Sunland-Tujunga, would argue otherwise. Within this small area,

members of all ethnic backgrounds gather on a daily basis to the park closest to them. For the

Hispanic community around the street I live on, the park on the corner has become a place for

them to reconnect with some of their culture and get away from the chaos that is life in Los

Angeles County. Little Landers Park is an ideal third place for many reasons, from its close

proximity to so many residents to the way the park is organized. Recreational areas like this are

popular in Latin American countries and because of the growing trend that is Latino Urbanism

I believe Little Landers Park and others like it are a global necessity.

A parks environment and facilities are vital to creating a third place. According to an

online article called Happy Places: Third Places by Christopher Peterson Ph.D., a professor,

author, and founding member of positive psychology, a third place is vaguely defined as an

accessible public area where people from any class, race, or background can go to enjoy the

company of others and possibly indulge in friendly conversation. In his article, Peterson Ph.D.

explains that, the dominant mood of a third place is playful or lighthearted and friendly. He

also clarifies that third places contribute to the life worth living. They root us; they give us an

identity; they restore us; they support us. Ultimately, these areas are vital to sustaining a healthy

community and a wholesome life.

 Little Landers Park is a great example of a third place environment and is incredibly

functional for its small size. Similar to most parks in Los Angeles County, there is a playground

equipped with two swings, a jungle gym, and four slides all resting on a bed of sand, lined by a

path, benches, and finally, bushes. There is also a picnic area just beyond those bushes with

about ten tables. Usually, men gather here while their female counterparts find their comfort on

the other side of the bushes, with an eye on their children at play. Occasionally, on a sunny

afternoon, birthday parties and other family gatherings are also held here from time to time. In

the middle of the park is a small historical building. Inside are pictures from around years ago

that show the olive orchards that blanketed this area at that time. Though the building is not open

to the public every day, it is used for voting polls during presidential, state, and county elections.

The park is within walking distance of dozens of apartment buildings in the small yet

relatively diverse city called Sunland-Tujunga. Driving the roads there you will probably see at

least one person from each continent walking the sidewalks. Sunland-Tujunga is dominated

largely by low to middle income families, which lends to the resident racial diversity. The main

street that leads to Little Landers is a small commerce street with a dry cleaners, small hardware

store, local convenient stores, and places to eat. The immediately local populous around the park

is and has been Hispanic for quite some time. Though numbers have fluctuated, they seem to be

the largest group of immigrants in this area. Subsequently, there is a strong representation of their

culture throughout the regular attendants at Little Launders Park.

There is a substantial amount of evidence suggesting that the Latino community uses

spaces like these in America to temporarily immerse themselves in their native cultures. The term

used to define this action is Latino or New Urbanism according to author Michael Rios, and

other sociologists is. In his book, Claiming Latino Space: Cultural Insurgency in the Public
Realm, Rios explains that small public areas provide a space to share a common sense of

territorial identity with a homeland other than the one being inhabited. (103) this was apparent

to me one afternoon, when I stopped to observe the park, reaching for a better grasp of what he

was saying. I saw that the majority of the people were Hispanic mothers bringing their kids to

play at the park while they sit on nearby benches talking about their day and exchanging new

gossip. Both age groups had found a way to destress while interacting in a way that allows their

family heritage and traditions to be remembered and celebrated. In a country that enforces

conformism so boldly through the media, it is encouraging to see families maintain their identity

by teaching their children their native language.

In an excerpt entitled Do I Look Like Public Enemy Number One?, Lorraine Ali, a well-

known editor and writer for the LA Times Magazine recounts feeling shameful of her foreign

cultural history because she wanted to be accepted as an American. At the time she felt that being

accepted in that way would be gratifying enough. However, having an understanding of where

we come from is necessary to having a strong sense of self. Ali says that it is the individuals

responsibility to somehow forge an identity between dueling cultures, [and] to focus on the

humanity, not the terror, that bridges both worlds. (49) For some immigrants, a trip to the park

to get away from the city life in America give could give them a relaxing opportunity to do just

that.

Little Landers Park offers an ideal environment for all locals to interact away from their

home or work. This can help destress individuals and in turn, reduce stress in the community by

simply making them feel more accepted. For some, it is easy to dismiss a third place like this

as a place for kids but it is important to appreciate the how crucial the third place environment is

for revitalizing and maintaining a healthy mindset. The Latin American culture values these
types of interactions and promotes them with outdoor activities and large areas for the public to

congregate. If more of the global population utilized public space like this it is possible that we

can all feel more stable, productive and ultimately, more happy with ourselves and each other.
 Works Cited

1. Ali, Lorraine. Do I Look Like Public Enemy Number One?: I Love Being

American, But My Arab Side Puts Me Between Iraq And A Hard Place. Conde

Nast Publications Inc., 1999

Mims, Joan T, and Elizabeth M. Nollen. Mirror on America: Essays and Images

from Popular Culture. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. Print.

2. Peterson, Christopher, Ph.D. "Happy Places: Third Places." Psychology Today. Sussex

Publishers, 01 Dec. 2009. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

3. Rios, Michael. "Claiming Latino space: Cultural insurgency in the public realm." Insurgent
public space: Guerrilla urbanism and the remaking of contemporary cities (2010): 99-110.