The purpose of the research project is to study the effects of dislocation in the Lower 9^th Ward of New Orleans by working on construction sites for resident houses that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The work was done through volunteering with lowernine.org, a community organization that provides housing reconstruction and food services to residents. It also involved two interviews with the director of the organization, Laura Paul.

One of the ideas I found to be the most interesting upon arriving in New Orleans was how visually prominent the issue of displacement is. I stayed in an Airbnb in a neighborhood just outside of the French Quarter, and every morning to get to the Lower 9^th Ward, I drove on St. Claude Avenue which passes directly through the main parts of New Orleans. These drives in the mornings (and evenings) were one of the most interesting visual aspects of my time researching, because this particular street passes through a range of neighborhoods still completely destroyed with dangerous debris and materials all around, but around seven minutes down the same road towards downtown are neighborhoods with some of the most expensive mansions and properties in Louisiana. It was an interesting time to arrive on post-Katrina sites more than 15 years after the fact, but I think it also provided a bigger picture perspective to see how neighborhoods as a whole were affected and how much quicker particular wealthier areas recovered compared to others whose entire neighborhoods are still suffering.

I think work in humanities is one of the most important areas of study that could help determine and improve the emotional (and overall) health trajectory of the current world and for generations to come. I believe it is absurd that we have evolved so extensively as a species in terms of technological, infrastructure, economic, etc. development but are still so unclear on many of the basic human emotions and thought processes that have always existed, and how they function in an ever-changing society. Because of this, I feel very passionate about work that in essence is compassionate and rooted in studying, understanding, and validating the limitless perspectives and experiences that so many around the world have to offer, particularly those that are more likely to be overlooked due to the competitive nature of the capitalist system.

I was at the Lower 9^th Ward each week from 8am-4pm working in construction, moving boxes and old supplies, transferring food pantry supplies to and from other pantries in the area, and more, and felt that while six weeks could never truly embody the reality of the hardships residents face, I was immersed deeply in what their recovery processes look like for the time I was there. Being embedded in their daily routines for recovery allowed me to conceptualize and see for myself a portion of what it means to have lost your home and endure the seemingly unending consequences in the aftermath, something that would be impossible to replicate by reading or watching films. There is extreme power in living in experiences versus studying them on paper due to the diversity of culture and community on our planet, and reflecting on my experience now I would never have expected to be as profoundly moved as I was doing something as simple as eating a sandwich with my coworkers on a newly constructed porch we had built after a long day.