by Rocio Zamora Arzola
WHAT’S HAPPENING
- The social and cultural disconnect between U.S.-born Latino youth and their immigrant parents gets a greening via a community garden project in Pacoima, an L.A. suburb.
- Project Youth Green was launched in 2008 by Youth Speak Collective. Two acres of a four-acre plot are for youth to learn gardening skills. The other two are divided into 60 plots for families.
- English-speaking youth, many students at a local university, are not just learning about fertilizing and rotating. Working side-by-side with their Spanish-speaking parents, they’re making connections with their family’s agrarian roots, growing traditional vegetables and herbs, and sharing their knowledge of the five R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle, respect and renew (Sundial.CSUN.edu 2.24.10).
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
- Getting dirt underneath fingernails more accustomed to keyboards and cellphones gives young Latinos an opportunity to learn skills and attitudes that will last a lifetime. A cultural bonus: getting in touch with their roots.
RESOURCES
