L. A Written by: Alyse Messmer Photography by: Kengkue Her Design by: Joseph Smallwood
Cultural Towns A STUDENT'S GUIDE TO LA'S ETHNIC DISTRICTS
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os Angeles is one of the largest cultural centers in the United States. For those who are looking for a new experience in LA, cultural districts such as Chinatown, Olvera Street, Historic Filipinotown and Little Tokyo provide people with a way to step out of their comfort zone and learn more about the world around them, even when they can’t travel across the world. Shellyn Beltran, California Baptist University’s assistant director of International Students Services, says students should take the time to immerse themselves in these different cultures. “It doesn’t take hopping an airplane to interact with another culture. We have students from 49 different countries represented on our own campus. Not everyone can afford a trip overseas and that’s OK because the nations are in our own backyard and even on the CBU campus,” Beltran says. While Los Angeles is home to the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, Griffith Observatory and many museums, the cultural neighboorhoods within LA hold the ability to take visitors to new places and experience new cultures around each corner. 26 | Pursuit
