Announcing the Final Examination of Ms. Janine Galindo for the degree of Master of Arts in History
Historical interpretation at a heritage site involves the explanation of past events to a public audience. At a site that is financially dependent on tourism, the interpretation often supports a narrative that aestheticizes the location and its associated historical events for marketing purposes. The result is a heavily sanitized representation of the past with some aspects either removed or obscured, while others are prioritized. Ybor City, a historical neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, is a National Historic Landmark District and tourist attraction. Ybor’s public interpretation is anchored to its immigrant roots and once thriving cigar industry, painting the image of a bustling, relatively peaceful and diverse “Latin” community. However, contentious historical events such as labor strikes and racial tensions are noticeably absent. Furthermore, the district’s commemorative landscape is embellished with patriotic descriptions and traditional American ideology to further maximize its relevancy as a national landmark. This thesis seeks to advance a more authentic interpretation of Ybor City’s history by examining some of the neighborhood’s remaining physical structures and exposing aspects of the past that were quietly covered up or ignored. It addresses economic and political motivations behind the current narrative, then deliberates over the consequences of incorporating a celebratory, patriotic message that not only obfuscates historical events, but also silences the voices of traditionally marginalized racial and ethnic groups.
Committee in Charge:
Dr. Scot French
Dr. Barbara Gannon
Dr. Tiffany Earley-Spadoni
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