Natasha Torres

The Past, The Present...The Future?
-Natasha Torres
Lawrence High School Class 2010

As I browsed through the internet, seeking for a volunteer position that will keep me busy for the summer, four words from the Google search engine jumped out at me; The Lawrence History Center. I never knew such a place existed where the city records of Lawrence, MA were collected and preserved as well as old artifacts that date back to the mid 1800s. I immediately jumped at the chance to become involved, and actively sought out the executive director, Barbara Brown.

Imagine my surprise when I was offered not a volunteer position, but a paid internship! I was thrilled that not only do I get to earn money sorting through Lawrence's history, but that I also got to peek into many different subject boxes and learn about a city I was born and raised in and that was only known for its bad publicity.

My first assignment was to chronologically and numerically organize the Hispanic box. What I found in the two big boxes surprised me; there were so many immigration groups that I had no idea about! I found out about the Salvadorians, Ecuadorians, Panamanians, Mexicans, Brazilians, Puerto Ricans, and Dominicans that had settled in this small city.

I learned about their different festivals and many celebrations. How culturally different and yet similar they were to my own Dominican ethnicity. I also realized how much more full of life Lawrence was, back in the 50s and 60s. It seemed that every folder I sifted through told of a city that was very active and fun and spirited. Compared to now, the city seems lifeless. Sure, there is Hispanic month and Hispanic week with the carnivals and pageant, but what vividly strikes me is the lack of involvement from the people in the city, as if they don't care and fail to recognize that while we may live in a poor community, we don't have to live in misery and that we can make our own happiness and fun if only we participated and went out and got active.

As I continued working throughout the summer,a constant thought struck me every time I “discovered” something new: Why don't teachers in elementary and high school teach their students about the history of their own city?

I found myself several times musing over the answer. Is it because of the city's reputation as portrayed by the media, or is it for some other obscure reason? Maybe if teachers taught their students at a young age to appreciate where they come from, maybe then they will feel pride to call this city “home” instead of “the place where I live.”

Why aren't students educated more about the immigrants that settled here generations before them and built them this stepping stone to start in, in life, and the struggles and hardships they went through? Perhaps if this occurred young people can appreciate and relate to those immigrants who labored and suffered to build this city.

Maybe then, more and more people can become involved and contribute to this city that perhaps one day, with effort of the citizens, can become a thriving city with an enriching history.