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I Barriga Llena, Corazón Contento Barriga Llena, Corazón Contento: Puerto Rican Women’s Perspectives on Food, Identity, and US Influence on the Island By MARIA ELENA RODRIGUEZ B.A. (University of Washington, Seattle) 2008 THESIS Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Community Development in the OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES of the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS Approved: Jonathan London, Chair Ryan Galt Kimberly Nettles-Barcelon Committee in Charge 2013 i Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................................................... iv Reconocimientos/Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ v Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Rationale: Why Study Food in Puerto Rico?........................................................................................................................ 2 Defining Key Concepts .................................................................................................................................................................. 5 The Research Site: Fajardo, Puerto Rico…Ciudad de los Cariduros ........................................................................... 6 Meet the Interview Participants............................................................................................................................................... 7 Personal Background and Relevance .................................................................................................................................. 10 Roadmap: An Explanation of the Following Sections .................................................................................................. 11 Historical Background and Contemporary Context........................................................................................................... 13 Historical Background ............................................................................................................................................................... 13 Questions of Status: Puerto Rico’s Contemporary Political Landscape ............................................................... 16 Changing Aspects of the Puerto Rican Food System .................................................................................................... 21 Methodology ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Approaches to Field Work ....................................................................................................................................................... 28 Positionality and Limitations ................................................................................................................................................. 34 Research Methods ....................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Analysis and Discussion................................................................................................................................................................. 40 US Influence on the Puerto Rican Food System: Repercussions for Puerto Rican Identities ..................... 41 Discourses of US Dominance and Puerto Rican Dependence ................................................................................... 41 Impact of Fast Food on Local Culture and Identity ....................................................................................................... 52 Shifting Notions of “Healthy Food” ...................................................................................................................................... 62 Food as a Tool of Resistance ................................................................................................................................................... 71 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 77 Unas preguntitas más: A few lingering questions .......................................................................................................... 77 Some Caveats ................................................................................................................................................................................. 79 The Future of Comida Criolla .................................................................................................................................................. 82 Barriga Llena, Corazón Contento ........................................................................................................................................... 88 References ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 90 ii Appendix .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 95 A: Interview Questions in English ........................................................................................................................................ 95 B: Interview Questions in Spanish ....................................................................................................................................... 98 C: Research Contact Sheet in English ............................................................................................................................... 101 D: Research Contact Sheet in Spanish .............................................................................................................................. 102 List of Figures Figure 1: Map of Puerto Rico showing research locations ................................................................................................. 7 Figure 2: Sign advertising local bakery in Fajardo, Puerto Rico ................................................................................... 12 Figure 3: Bin of locally grown bananas at a Wal-Mart in Fajardo, Puerto Rico ..................................................... 27 Figure 4: Typical Puerto Rican sweets at an artisan fair in Old San Juan ................................................................. 39 Figure 5: Two featured dishes at the Feria Gastronómica: meat dumplings and polenta with pesto .......... 84 Figure 6: El Burén de Lula in Loíza, Puerto Rico .................................................................................................................. 85 Figure 7: Frituras and piña coladas at the kiosks in Luquillo ........................................................................................ 86 Figure 8: A lechonera in Guavate, Puerto Rico ..................................................................................................................... 87 All photographs taken by the author. iii Abstract In the island of Puerto Rico, indigenous Taíno, colonial Spanish, and African slave influences have produced a complex food culture that is currently being re-shaped by numerous global forces. This thesis is the product of research conducted in 2012 in and around Fajardo, Puerto Rico, surrounding issues of food, culture, and identity among Puerto Rican women. Oral histories showcase the ways in which Puerto Rican women negotiate their identities within an ever-shifting food system. I contextualize this study within a legacy of colonialism, the impact of corporate-driven globalization on the island’s food system, and the ever-ambiguous political relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico. This research was guided by a number of questions including: (1) What role do Puerto Rican cultural foodways play in the development of personal, cultural, and community identity for Puerto Rican women living on the island? (2) What impacts have colonialism and globalization had on the significance of cultural Puerto Rican foods and eating practices? (3) How do women negotiate processes of identity formation within the context of an increasingly Americanized and globalized food system? (4) What efforts, if any, are currently underway in Puerto Rico to counteract these influences and to preserve cultural heritage through food and eating practices? In analyzing the oral histories of research participants, four main themes emerge when considering how US influence on the Puerto Rican food system impacts women’s identities in Puerto Rico. First, I demonstrate how discourses of US domination and Puerto Rican dependence are both reflected in women’s food narratives. Second, I look at how rapid expansion of primarily US-owned fast food establishments in Puerto Rico impacts local food culture and identity. Next, I examine the shifting definitions of “healthy food” in Puerto Rico, and how this articulates with traditional foods. Finally,
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