Abstract

“Highlandtown is home” explains what spaces, represented in this study as a specific neighborhood in Baltimore City, bring to the Latine community. By using a visual ethnographic approach I answered the following questions, “What are the indicators that let someone know they entered Highlandtown?” and “What does the space in the neighborhood of Highlandtown mean for the Latine community?”  The incorporation of visuals, audio, and in-depth field notes answered these questions while providing insight into what the researcher saw, felt, and heard throughout the research process. The study finding’s supported academic and community-organized research conducted with Highlandtown residents over the years through the following themes: nostalgia, comfort, and familiarity. I translated these themes into the following segments of the video to “Home”, “Community”, “Comfort”, and “Estamos Aquí”. These themes within the video work together to create a story of what the neighborhood and interactions with the neighborhood means for the Latine community. The recordings and sounds presented in the video allow the viewer to see how the Latine community interconnects parts of their identity into their present community. The video asks for the viewer to reflect on the nuance of entering into a familiar yet unfamiliar space.