17 Jun Here’s the Tea

My first couple of weeks at the Department of Interior as the Archaeology Junior Ranger Booklet Designer have been nothing short of a learning experience. My job for the past couple of weeks has consisted of digging deep within the labyrinth of the DOI Library archives and doing some intense googling to look for archaeological evidence of Latinx heritage within the National Park Service.

One interesting site with Latino archaeology is Big Bend Ntl Park. In 1932 FDR created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to decrease unemployment whilst conserving natural resources. The CCC built the roads and trails still used today at Big Bend. However, what most people don’t know is that out of the 200 men enlisted, 80% were Latinos. The CCC is usually portrayed as white labor history but my job is to reteach the history to include Latino laborers into the discourse of Big Bend’s history. Here is a picture of some of the workers.

Image copied from Big Bend’s NPS website. 

Aside from being nose deep into research, I bike home every afternoon and pass by the Capitol during golden hour and after hours usually explore to find the best Chai tea places in D.C. (See cover photo for some delicious Chai).