Debbie
My name is Deborah Martinez; I am a high school student, preparing to pursue a college education. I come from an environment in which violence and drugs are prevalent in my neighborhood. Indeed, the surrounding is full of graffiti. I believe that people search their identity through art and graffiti. Right now in my city, state, and country graffiti is considered a crime. However, I feel it should not be considered a crime because it’s a way of expression. Graffiti should be looked at through a new set of lenses; it may appear dirty or disturbing, but most of the time there is a meaning behind it.
As a Hispanic American living my daily life in South Central Los Angeles graffiti seemed to have very little meaning. I never thought much about it, but I always knew it was wrong. For me I thought that graffiti was just a scribble that filled up an empty wall. However, in the summer 2007, I had the opportunity to learn greatly about how graffiti has impacted our society. For many people, graffiti is a crime, and it may look dirty to most people, but what they don’t realize is the fact that there are political reasons as well as personal reasons behind each piece. Researching the topic I have learned different styles of graffiti and gained insights of the meaning behind the purpose and importance.