06 Jun Hola, from the East Coast!

View of the Reflecting Pool and Washington Monument in the background from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

Hello my name is Janette Gallardo.  I’m a first generation Mexican-American, born and raised in California.  I’m currently finishing my Master’s in History from California State University, Fresno.  I also completed my Bachelor’s degree in History and a minor in Communicative Disorders and Deaf Studies from the same institution.  My thesis is on gender roles during the Cristero Rebellion, a religious counter-rebellion against the Mexican government that occurred in reaction to the Mexican Revolution.  Besides an interest in Mexican history I also have an interest in cultural history, education, preservation, and conservation within U.S. history.

This week I began my internship at the National Parks Service Centennial Office in Washington D.C.  This is my first time in D.C. and only my second time on the east coast.  Like most Latinos I come from a close knit family and making the move to east coast for this internship was hard, but I’m thankful for my supportive family who have made this move easy.

My first official day in D.C. was on Memorial day and I visited the National Mall and Memorial Parks, which are part of the National Parks Service.  It was a wonderful experience to visit the Memorial Parks on this special day, in which we honor our fallen heroes.  As I walked down the mall I was so pleased to see the diversity of the visitors at these sites.  This year marks the 100^th anniversary of our nation’s parks and I’m very excited to join the Centennial team over the summer, in helping expand the inclusion of ethnically and diverse communities in our nations parks.