FALL 2018: Inside Stories from a Changing City
Historías Íntimas de una Ciudad Cambiante
Cities—like families—are passed from one generation to the next. As people hand their neighborhoods, businesses and institutions on to others, a city evolves. Trenton is no exception. Starting with a growing Puerto Rican community in the 1960s and continuing through the Guatemalan migrations of today, more and more Latinx Trentonians are becoming caretakers of the city and its culture. This set of short student films goes inside three of these stories to look closely at the fabric of an ever-changing city.
Las ciudades, al igual que las familias, son legadas de una generación a otra. A medida que las personas van entregando sus barrios, sus negocios e instituciones a otros, la ciudad evoluciona. Trenton no es la excepción. Los trentonianos latinos, quienes empezaron como una comunidad puertorriqueña en los años sesenta y continuaron creciendo a través de las migraciones guatemaltecas, hoy en día, se están convirtiendo en cuidadores de la ciudad y su cultura. Esta colección de cortometrajes de estudiantes muestran tres de estas historias en las cuales se busca profundizar y ver de cerca el tejido de una ciudad en constante cambio.
This project, like all of the work of The Trenton Project, could not happen without the generosity and stories of Trentonians. Please take a look at our full credits.
REINAS
What’s beautiful in Trenton? Reinas explores the beauty pageant world of two Trentonians. Both Monica, a Latina beauty queen, and Chenoah, an African American woman who reigns as Miss New Jersey, have developed their conceptions of beauty by following in their mothers’ footsteps.
BEHIND THE BADGE
Carmella Asparrin and Isaac Wolfe (2019, 9 min.)
This short film explores the experience of Latino officers serving in the Trenton Police Department. Through the eyes of Officer Gledy Quijada and retired Officer Luis Reyes, Behind the Badge looks at how Latino officers balance their personal identities and their commitment to service.
OASIS
Melia Chittenden, Sarah Klebanov and Oliver Whang (2019, 11 min.)
Bakery Las Delicias sits on the corner of Beatty St. and DeKlyn Ave in the heart of Trenton. Founded by Federico Sanic, it has provided traditional Guatemalan food to the city for nearly two decades. Oasis provides a glimpse inside Las Delicias, to bring stories of immigrant entrepreneurship, familial strength, and cultural preservation to light.