Introduction
Every culture has influences, cultural norms, expectations, and expressions that are
demonstrated by that group of people. These influences and norms determine how the youth and
different people groups will interact with the city and those that reside in it. It is of extreme
importance to be able identify how the culture of a certain group of people affect them, and how
to engage effectively with them in a positive and healthy way.
Local Youth Culture in Santa Fe
The influences in the youth culture in Santa Fe are predominantly art, namely graffiti art,
drugs, alcohol, and domestic violence. According to the article written by Elizabeth Miller,
“Young people are so lost and so unseen and so uncared for and so unnourished and so
unnurtured that they turn to drugs and alcohol, domestic violence.”1 It seems as though the youth
in Santa Fe have been ignored for a long time, and this caused them to turn to other things for
recognition, such as the drugs and alcohol that was mentioned. The youth is also influenced by
the “underground youth scene,”2 the place people went to in order to felt heard and to feel
attached to the culture that had been stolen from them.
The cultural norms in the youth culture of Santa Fe are to engage and express the
thoughts of oneself through art. Art in Santa Fe is a cornerstone for the youth. It is what they use
to interact with other people and what they use in order to feel accepted and heard amongst their
peers.
The expressions of youth here is influenced by the lack of acknowledgement that they
receive, so in turn they, “…paint their names huge on trains, on walls, in places, and they step
back and say, ‘See how big I am and how colorful I am and how beautiful I am.’”3 Due to the
1 Miller, Elizabeth, “Speak My Language,” October 28, 2015, 12:00 am (n.d.): 4.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
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lack of recognition, the youth expresses themselves in illegal ways, such as the paintings in
places that are not allowed, or they turn to drugs and alcohol because it is what everyone else is
doing, or even turn towards domestic violence.
Strategies for Relational Connects with Youth in Santa Fe
The most effective strategies for making significant relational connections with youth in
the Fort Marcy Park community are engaging them with art on a daily or weekly basis, hosting
some type of event or activity in which the youth can speak out freely with others, and possibly
giving the youth art classes or receiving art classes from them.
The first strategy involves engaging with the youth in what they are best at. Being amid
them where they thrive is a great way to get to know them and their individual personalities.
Being around them while they paint is a perfect way to grow closer to them, especially since it is
such a big part of the city’s culture. Simply being amongst the youth is such a simple yet
effective way of growing relationship with them. It is impossible to grow a friendship with
someone if no time is ever spent with them. Doing this on a daily or weekly basis can result in
quick relational growth with the youth.
The second strategy involves hosting an even in which the youth can be with each other
and feel heard and needed. The article made it clear that the youth in this city feel abandoned and
unwanted. Therefore, hosting an event, or better yet, talking to the youth and letting them host
their own event, is a great way for them to feel heard from the community that surrounds them.
Finally, the last strategy is that of letting the youth give art classes or giving art classes to
them. Art plays a pivotal part in the culture of Santa Fe, and teaching art to the youth is a great
way to feed into their culture as well as help it along. It will draw in several people because they
will want to know how to do graffiti art since everyone else is doing it, allowing for multiple
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areas of relational growth to occur. An even better way, perhaps, is to let the youth themselves
teach art. This way the youth feels like they are needed by someone, that they are being heard,
and that they are being useful for the city and culture. It also creates one-on-one opportunities to
have deep and meaningful conversations between the student and teacher.
Conclusion
Looking at the condition of the youth in Santa Fe, there is a great need for building
relationships with these students. The best way to do is through intense and straight-forward
ways of engagement with them. They need to be sought after and pursued. Being amongst the
youth in the places they paint and while they paint is such a simple yet effective way to grow
closer to them. Similarly, letting the youth be heard and letting them speak freely is something
that Santa Fe desperately needs. This can be accomplished through the giving or receiving of art
classes, something that most of the youth can do and is willing to do in Sante Fe, since so many
of them are actively pursuing graffiti art.
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