Good Evening Everyone,

My name is Crystal Rodriguez, I’m an undergrad student here at Dominguez Hills who transferred from Los Angeles Harbor College. I was in the PACE program before transferring, therefore I decided to join the IDS/PACE program here at Dominguez. It’s convenient for those who have a full-time job and want to pursue their education. As an IDS major, my area of concentration is Environmental Studies. I love the natural world therefore I decided to focus on understanding the world and the implications of individual, community, and government actions on the environment.

I am an enthusiastic, creative, and caring individual has a passion for dance, culture, nature, food and art. At this present time I am a dancer (danzante) for a group called ‘Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc’. As an indigenous young woman, I have realized that the world has been putting such labels on the roots. The world of jungle, you can either run or fight your way. The souls of my ancestors peer out from behind my mask skin, and through our dances and foods they live again. We can’t forget where we came from, and that is why my group members and I organize to preserve our dances, food, and culture. With that said, I am looking forward to learning more about other food and cultures. I am interested in knowing how others have managed to keep their traditions alive through their dishes.