Looking back on these past six weeks, I can confidently say that this research period has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my academic journey so far. Through Laidlaw, I’ve had the opportunity to strengthen my research skills, engage with community members whose stories are central to my project, and learn from an incredible mentor who challenged me to think more critically about my work. Each interview, digital archive visit, and mentoring session reinforced why this research matters and reminded me how meaningful it is to contribute to preserving these histories.
Over the past six weeks, my research progressed in many of the ways I had hoped. One of the most rewarding aspects was conducting interviews and collecting oral histories from key leaders involved in preserving the history of Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop, as well as descendants of families who survived the displacement. These conversations added invaluable personal perspectives that complemented the historical record and strengthened my understanding of the lasting impacts of urban displacement.
Throughout the research period, I remained in close contact with my research mentor, Professor Randa Serhan. Having taken her classes over the past two semesters, I already appreciated her thoughtful guidance and expertise in urban displacement research, but our relationship evolved from professor-student to mentor-mentee. Our regular meetings kept my project on track, helped me refine my interview questions, identify the most relevant resources, and provided both feedback and encouragement. I also spent time engaging with the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center archives, examining documents that recorded the displacement of these communities, while analyzing recent articles on the Dodgers' relationship with local and federal politics and how fans have responded to those engagements.
Looking back, one thing I would have done differently is organize a group interview, allowing participants with different perspectives to engage in conversation with one another and explore how their experiences and interpretations of this shared history intersected.
As I prepare for the upcoming research paper and poster deadlines, my next step is compiling comprehensive profiles of each interviewee, mapping their connection to the displacement as well as their perspectives on how the Dodgers and the City of Los Angeles should reckon with this history. From there, I will begin drafting my research poster and outlining my paper while working closely with a Writing Fellow and Professor Serhan throughout the writing process to strengthen my work from the earliest stages.
I look forward to carrying this work into my Leadership in Action experience next summer, where I hope to build on the insights I've gained through this research while exploring how it can create meaningful social impact.