Description
Book SynopsisConfronting the role of foodie culture in gentrificationHaving discovered the flavors of barbacoa, bibimbap, bánh mi, sambusas, and pupusas, white middle-class eaters are increasingly venturing into historically segregated neighborhoods in search of authentic eateries run byand forimmigrants and people of color. Fueled by media attention and capitalized on by developers, this interest in ethnic food and places contributes to gentrification, and the very people who produced these vibrant foodscapes are increasingly excluded from them. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, geographer Pascale Joassart-Marcelli traces the transformation of three urban San Diego neighborhoods whose foodscapes are shifting from serving the needs of longtime minoritized residents who face limited food access to pleasing the tastes of wealthier and whiter newcomers. The $16 Taco illustrates how food can both emplace and displace immigrants, shedding light on the larger process of gentrification and the emotional,
Trade Review"Joassart-Marcelli explores high-level theories about race, ethnicity, economics, systemic racism, and other factors that shape the food system, and then situates those theories within the city of San Diego... And part of the power of this book comes from the reality that every city is home to the same kinds of stories that Joassart-Marcelli uncovered in San Diego."
* Civil Eats *
"The book offers a contextualized and complex account of the making and remaking of urban spaces through food, and avoids romanticizing or dismissing the everyday practices of local residents."
* The AAG Review of Books *
"Jossart-Marcelli’s work makes a useful contribution to the literature on urban evolution and the processes—demographic, political, and financial—that perpetuate cycles of neighborhood ascension, decline, and gentrification... As the geography and culture of urban foodscapes continue to grow and change, Jossart-Marcelli has given readers plenty to chew on."
* The Journal of Urban Affairs *
"The $16 Taco reflects the best of food-related research and writing today, as it links the foods that sustain each of us with social and cultural practices that shape the material spaces we inhabit."
* California History *
