Food Activism and Food CultureIn Oaxaca, Mexico
Spring 2017, Dates: May 15 - June 12 (May 15-21 in Los
Angeles)
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1PM – 2PM
e-mail:[email protected]
I. Course objectives:
· Investigate the Mexican/Oaxacan culture of Los Angeles,
especially in areas in close proximity to USC (Boyle Heights,
downtown, and South L.A.)
· Experience firsthand the cultural, political, economic and
spiritual vale of Oaxaca’s most important foods, corn, cacao, and
chili, crops that have been part of the Mesoamerican diet and
culture for thousands of years
· Explore the effects of immigration to Los Angeles on the
culture and cuisine of a largely indigenous community that has
historically faced discrimination
· Learn about in indigenous food sovereignty movements based in
Oaxaca that have developed local food cooperatives and small-scale
ecological production and food activism through visits to
indigenous communities fighting to preserve traditional crops
· Understand how food sovereignty offers opportunities to
advance women’s rights and witness the enormous contribution of
women to the food/agricultural economy
· See how women small business owners use food production as an
important form of entrepreneurship and empowerment through
microfinance
· Unearth the economic, cultural, spiritual, and political
importance of maize (corn) in Oaxaca/Mexico. Engage directly with
the chefs, campesinos, and activists who have been working to
protect it from multinational agroindustry.
II. Brief Course Description and Weekly Topics:
Oaxaca is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and
is the most culturally and biologically diverse of Mexican states
with sixteen different languages spoken in addition to Spanish, and
environments as varied as desert, pine forest, and tropical rain
forest.
The food of Oaxaca stands out as one of the richest and most
diverse in all of Mexico. Based on a synthesis of Spanish and
Indigenous legacies, Oaxacan cuisine is known for its many moles,
complex sauces made of chilies, chocolate, herbs and spices; for
its many corn products; for its mescal, a locally cultivated,
distilled beverage made from agave; and for the rich Oaxacan
chocolate.
During the Maymester, students will explore Oaxacan culture,
food, and agriculture, discover how food is used as a tool for
activism, sovereignty and empowerment of women, and learn about the
connection between Oaxacan food and politics and immigration.
III. Weekly Agenda
Week 1:
Since Los Angeles is home to the largest Oaxacan community
outside of Oaxaca City (an estimated 80,000 economic migrants have
come since the 1990s), the course will begin with a week in Los
Angeles introducing students to Oaxacan culture and cuisine through
lectures, visits to local markets and restaurants, and
conversations with members of Los Angeles’ Oaxacan community. We
will see how, in some cases, Oaxacan food in Los Angeles has
maintained its own unique culture, while, in other cases, it has
merged with other cultures to become a truly global cuisine.
Week 2:
The second week of the program, based in and around the city of
Oaxaca, will offer an intensive overview of Oaxacan cuisine and
culture, through lectures, a hands-on cooking class, a tour of
Oaxaca’s largest Sunday market in a nearby town, a visit to the
archeological ruins of Mitla, and a cacao tour with Chocosol, a
social enterprise that makes artisanal chocolate using organic,
shade grown chocolate sourced from indigenous communities in the
Oaxacan mountains. We will learn about Chocosol’s reciprocal
relationship with local producers and how they benefit from it.
Week 3:
This week will focus on agricultural production and indigenous
rights in Oaxaca. Oaxacan activist, intellectual, writer and
founder of Universidad de la Tierra, Gustavo Esteva will speak
about food sovereignty and food activism in Oaxaca. Esteva will
accompany us on an overnight excursion to corn and amaranth growers
where we will discover how indigenous farmers use food production
for greater agency and sovereignty.
During week 3, we will also learn about the intersection of food
and ecotourism when we spend two days in one of the Pueblos
Mancomunados, indigenous villages that developed a communal
ecotourism project in the 1990s that has become a model for all of
Mexico. We will spend time with two different indigenous families;
one that makes pulque (a fermented drink from the agave plant) and
another that makes bread, hike a pre-Hispanic trade route between
the villages, and eat at a local trout farm.
Week 4:
This week will focus on female empowerment through food
production. We will participate in a food-focused tour with the
microfinance foundation, En Vía, learning directly from Oaxacan
women in indigenous villages how they use interest-free loans to
expand their small businesses and lift themselves out of
poverty.
The final days will be used for presentations of the students’
ethnographic research on the intersection of Oaxacan
food/agriculture and social justice, politics, or gender rights. We
will have the final exam and final class dinner on the last
days.
IV. Course evaluation:
A. Attendance and Class Discussion (15%) -- Attendance at each
session is mandatory. Class discussions will be focused on readings
and larger questions for the daily topic of study. This part of the
grade will be determined by a combination of attendance, and
participation in class discussions. Attendance at all field trips
and excursions is mandatory as well. Except in cases of serious
illness, attendance at all of the classes/excursions is expected,
as they are an important part of the course.
B. Reading Quizzes (two quizzes, 20%) – A reading quiz will be
offered at the beginning of two classes. These quizzes will be
short and factual -- they are designed to ensure that students
complete the reading and come prepared for discussion.
C. Food ethnography (25%)-- You will observe eating and food
production processes in Los Angeles and the city of Oaxaca or its
environs. Each student will write up a short description and
analysis of his/her observations, and answer the following
questions in the course of your analysis:- How was the food
prepared? Who prepared it?
- Who is dining? What binds the diners together?
- Is there an order to how the food is consumed?
- What choices have been made about what to consume and
when?
-What ingredients are being used? Are they locally grown and
purchased?
- Is there a history to the food being consumed? How do you
know? Would this eating process have looked any differently three
or five or ten decades ago?
- What supplements the food? Décor, conversation, etc.? Is the
food secondary to the supplements? Or does the food come first?
- How are the food, ambience, or diners different in the U.S.
from Oaxaca? Similar?
In 4 double-spaced pages, record your observations and then draw
conclusions about the role of food consumption rituals in everyday
life in Oaxaca and in Los Angeles. You will be graded on the
vibrancy of your description and analysis and the details supplied.
You should also prepare a 10-12 minute presentation based on your
observations. This presentation should summarize the basics of your
ethnography and then conclude with the most interesting analytical
elements from your description.
Students will be provided with instructions as to how to conduct
an ethnography.
D. Examination (25%) – The final exam will cover readings,
lectures, and discussions. E. Research Paper (15%) – Each student
will investigate a particular aspect of Oaxacan or Mexican food
culture/production both in Oaxaca and Los Angeles. The topic will
be chosen in consultation with Prof. Portnoy. It must include
firsthand observations as well as research. The paper will be 6-8
pages long and must include a Works Cited page with at least 10
sources. It is due by June 9th.
V. Lodging and Program Host Institute:
Universidad de la Tierra (http://unitierraoaxaca.org/) will be
our hosts for the program.
The ICO, which is housed in a lovely 19th century estate, has
been teaching Spanish-language programs in Oaxaca since 1984. The
institute gives classes to individuals and groups, provides
support, and organizes home stays for several university programs.
The ICO will be the location of our introductory lectures.
Unitierra will coordinate homestays with local Oaxacan families
so that students can use their Spanish language skills and
experience the culture through contact with a local family.
HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION
The office of Overseas Studies of the Dana and David Dornsife
College of Arts, Letters and Sciences at the University of Southern
California urges students and parents to stay informed of
conditions that may affect the health and safety of USC students
abroad. Traveling and living in a foreign country always has an
element of risk. In study abroad as in other settings, students’
own decisions and behavior can have a major impact on their health
and safety. To aid students and parents in their consideration of
potential health and safety risks, we have put together some
information and provided links to readily accessible web sites that
address issues of health and safety while abroad:
dornsife.usc.edu/health-and-safety/
ACADEMIC CONDUCT
Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either
verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic
offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize
yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section
11, Behavior Violating University
Standardshttps://scampus.usc.edu/1100-behavior-violating-university-standards-and-appropriate-sanctions/. Other
forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See
additional information in SCampus and university policies on
scientific misconduct,
http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct/.
Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated
by the university. You are encouraged to report any incidents
to the Office of Equity and Diversity http://equity.usc.edu/ or to
the Department of Public Safety
http://capsnet.usc.edu/department/department-public-safety/online-forms/contact-us.
This is important for the safety whole USC community. Another
member of the university community – such as a friend, classmate,
advisor, or faculty member – can help initiate the report, or can
initiate the report on behalf of another person. The Center
for Women and Men http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/cwm/ provides
24/7 confidential support, and the sexual assault resource center
webpage [email protected] describes reporting options and other
resources.
DSP
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a
disability is required to register with Disability Services and
Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved
accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please present your letter
of accommodation to me as early as possible to arrange for
acommodations. DSP is located in 3601 Watt Way, Grace Ford
Salvatori Hall 120, and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776. They can be
reached via email at [email protected].
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES/ACTIVITIES:
May 15, Monday (10-2 PM)· 10 A.M. Opening lecture on Oaxacan
culture and gastronomy and history of Oaxacan immigration to
California· 12:30 P.M. Sampling of traditional Oaxacan cuisine
close to USC at Oaxacan family restaurant Gish Bac, 4163 W.
Washington Blvd.· conversation with Gish Bac’s owners David Padilla
and María Ramos
Readings for Day 1:
1. Stephen, Lynn, “Transborder Communities in Political and
Historical Context: Views from Oaxaca,” and “Mexicans in
California,” “Mexicans in California,” Transborder lives:
Indigenous Oaxacans in Mexico, California, and Oregon (Duke
University Press, 2007)
2. Portnoy, Sarah, “From Tamale Wagons to California Burritos: A
History of Latino Food in Los Angeles,”Food, Health, and Culture in
Latino Los Angeles (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016).
3. Weber, Devra, “The Oaxacan Enclaves of Los Angeles: A Photo
Essay,” The Journal of the Southwest Vol. 43, No. 4, Border Cities
and Culture (Winter, 2001), pp. 729-745.
3. Videos about Oaxacan cuisine and culture: “Comida
oaxaqueña”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAiJ8YsjSkw
May 16, Tuesday· The Oaxacan Community in Los Angeles, a history
of discrimination and celebration· 9 AM: Presentation by María
Elena Cabezut, Chief of Cultural Affairs, Mexican Consulate in Los
Angeles· Discussion with Dalila Castillo, Cultural Affairs
Secretary, Regional Organization of Oaxaca (Organización Regional
de Oaxaca), a 29 year-old community organization that promotes
indigenous Oaxacan culture in Los Angeles· 10:30 AM: Discussion of
readings · Think about presentation topics and discuss food
ethnographies
Readings: 1. Cohen, Jeffrey, “The Oaxaca-U.S. Connection and
Remittances.” Migration Policy Institute,
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/oaxaca-us-connection-and-remittances2.
Kresge, Lisa, “Indigenous Oaxacan Communities in California: an
Overview,”
file:///Users/sarahportnoy/Downloads/Pub1107.1%20(1).pdf
May 17, WednesdayThe Evolution of Traditional Oaxacan cuisine in
Los Angeles · 10-1: Discussion with L.A. Oaxacan Chef Rocío
Camacho: Rocíos Mexican Kitchen, Bell Gardens, CA, sample moles,
discuss evolution of Oaxacan cuisine in Los Angeles
Readings:1. Portnoy, Sarah. “From Border Grill to Broken
Spanish: The Evolution of Latino Cuisine in Los Angeles.” Food,
Health and Culture in Latino Los Angeles (Rowman & Littlefield,
2016).
May 18, ThursdayOaxacalifornia: Oaxacan food and globalization·
10-11:30: Discussion of food and globalization· 11:30-12:30 Visit
to Oaxacalifornia (Mercado de la Paloma)
Readings: 1. Pilcher, Jeffrey, “The First Wave of Global
Mexican,” Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food (New York:
Oxford University Press, 2012).
2. David Inglis and Debra Gimlin, “Food Globalizations: Ironies
and Ambivalences of Food, Cuisine and Globality,” The Globalization
of Food (Oxford: Berg, 2009), 3-32.
May 19, Friday
· Quiz #1: 9-11 A.M.
· 12-2: Meal at Guelaguetza, conversation with owners Bricia and
Fernando Lopez, children of founder, on the evolution of Oaxacan
cuisine—and the community—in Los Angeles
· Discuss trip plans
Readings and video for before trip:
1. “Sin maíz no hay país,”
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/festival/play/5911/Sin-Ma--z-No-Hay-Pa--s--Las-Semillas-de-la-Dignidad
(39 min)
2. Kennedy, Diane, “Regions of Oaxaca,” Oaxaca al Gusto: An
Infinite Gastronomy (University of Texas Press, 2011), 3-11, 2.
“Maps of the Region,”
“Pillars of Oaxacan Cuisine: Chocolate, Corn, and Chiles,”
xii-xxii, “Glossary”
428-430. (ONLINE ON LIBRARY WEBSITE)
3. Roberto González, “The Conceptual Bases of Zapotec Farming
and Foodways,” Zapotec Science (University of Texas, 2001).
May 22, Monday
· Flight to Oaxaca. Make sure you arrive by early evening. ($626
R/T, 9:15 AM arrives at 6 PM)
May 23, Tuesday
· 10 A.M: An orientation to Oaxaca will be provided at the
Instituto Cultural Oaxaca (ICO) (1 hour)
· 11-1-Walking tour of the city and of the food market, Mercado
20 de Noviembre. Wear good shoes, bring a light rain jacket, and
come hungry! We will discover chocolate, chapulines and chiles!
· 4 PM-lecture on Oaxacan cuisine by Chef Pilar Cabrera
· 6 PM-welcome meal for class at Casa de los Sabores
May 24, Wednesday
· Explore the city on your own
· 3 P.M. Introductory lecture on food activism in Oaxaca by
Gustavo Esteve at Unitierra
· 8 P.M: Class on mescal production. Meet at the
Mezcaloteca.
Readings:
1. Sarah Bowen, “Making Mezcal in the Shadow of the Denomination
of Origin,” Divided Spirits: Tequila, Mezcal, and the Politics of
Production, 123-146.
2. GUSTAVO
May 25, Thursday
Zapotec Cooking Class in Teotitlán del Valle and visit to Women
Weavers (9AM-6 PM)
· Meet at Unitierra at 9 AM, transport to Teotitlán del Valle,
local market tour, hands-on cooking class in Reyna’s outdoor home
kitchen followed by a sit-down group meal
· We will learn about traditional cooking tools including a clay
comal (flat griddle used to roast ingredients), a metate (large
stone tool used to grind maize, chocolate, or dried chiles and
spices for mole), and a molcajete (stone pestle and mortar) to make
salsa.
· Visit to women’s weaving cooperative in Teotitlán
May 26, Friday
Chocolate Tour: cacao’s spiritual and culinary role in Oaxacan
culture (9AM-1 PM)
· We will explore Oaxaca City's centro histórico, includes three
local markets, three chocolaterías and local churches/parks. While
touring Oaxaca's various markets, parks, and chocolatiers, we trace
the history of chocolate not only through Mexican and world
history, but through flavors. Via pre-Hispanic hot and cold cacao
drinks, local seeds and chocolate tastings, we follow the mysteries
and the path of the humble cacao bean from its beginnings to its
modern incarnations today, its relation to Maize, and finally how
chocolate is made.
· Afternoon lecture on Zapotec culture and the archeological
site of Mitla (Instituto Cultural Oaxaca)
· Meet with me to discuss ideas for topics for food ethnography
(5-7 PM, La Betulia)
Readings and Video:
1. Ted Talk with founder of Chocosol: “Reclaiming Chocolate:
Chocosol Traders and Chocolatiers.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un80UxuCcno
2. Excerpt from the Popul Vuh, “Book of Counsel,”
http://www.mesoweb.com/publications/Christenson/PopolVuh.pdf
3. Sophie and Michael Coe, “The Birth of Chocolate: Mesoamerican
Genesis,” The True History of Chocolate, 33-64.
May 27, Saturday
· You have the day off to explore on your own and work on your
ethnographies. I will provide suggestions of outings.
May 28, Sunday
Day trip to largest Oaxacan market in the town of Tlacolula,
archeological site of Mitla, waterfall Hierve el Agua (9 AM-5
PM)
Readings:
1. “Insects” from Cambridge World History of Food, 546-554.
2. Chapter 4 in Food Culture in Mexico.
3. Cohen, Sanchez, and Montiel-Ishino, “Chapulines and Food
Choices in Rural Oaxaca,” Gastronomica, Winter 2009.
May 29, Monday/May 30, Tuesday
Agricultural Production, Indigenous Rights, and Food Sovereignty
in Oaxaca’s Mixtec Communities: Overnight Trip
· Presentation by Gustavo Esteva, author, activist, and founder
of Universidad de la Tierra (8-9 A.M.)
· Leave for excursion to corn and amaranth growers in the Mixtec
region of Oaxaca to learn directly about food sovereignty from the
community members. Overnight with community.
· Day 2: Excursion to the community of Reyes Mantecón, where a
woman’s collective where we will visit a woman’s collective that
grows organic crops
· Learn how traditional seed varieties are under threat from GM
crops and how local community members, scholars, and activists have
come together to form the Autonomous Network for Food Sovereignty
to challenge injustices in the food system.
Readings:
1. Lynn Stephen, “Testimony: Human Rights and Social Movements,”
We are the Face of Oaxaca: Testimony and Social Movements (Duke
University Press, 2013)
http://faceofoaxaca.uoregon.edu/introduction
2. Gustavo Esteve, “Sin maíz no hay país,” México: Museo
Nacional de Culturas Populares (2003). (Optional for Spanish
speakers)
3. Anjali Browning, “Corn, Tomatoes and a Dead Dog: Mexican
Agricultural Restructuring after NAFTA and Rural Responses to
Declining Maize Production in Oaxaca, Mexico,” Mexican
Studies/Estudios Mexicanos, Winter 2013.
4. “Amaranth” from Cambridge World History of Food
May 31, Wednesday: Discussion on Agriculture and Social Justice
in Oaxaca/Quiz
· 9-11 Reading Quiz #2 at Unitierra
· 2 P.M.: lunch and visit to Itanoni Restaurant. The owner is a
great defender of native corn and they make many different dishes
with their masa.
· Afternoon discussion/reflection with Gustavo Esteva about
experiences/readings at Unitierra
· Check in with me individually to discuss progress on your food
ethnographies (3-5 PM)
· Pack for overnight trip to Pueblos Mancomunados. Bring a rain
jacket and warm clothes!
June 1, Thursday/ June 2, Friday
Food and Ecotourism in the Pueblos Mancomunados: pulque, pan and
pescado
This ecotourism project was developed communally by 8 Zapotec
villages in the 1990s and has become a model for all of Mexico.
· Meet at 8 AM for transport to Pueblos Mancomunados (indigenous
communities in the mountains (1 ½ hour drive)
· Morning Workshop Day 1: Learn how to make bread with a
local indigenous family of bakers and another family that are
makers of pulque(fermented agave juice).
· Overnight in pueblo of Latuvi in local cabañas (cabins)
Day 2:
· Hike a pre-hispanic trade route from rom Latuvi to
Lachatao/ Amatlan using the old prehispanic trading path, learn
about medical herbs and local crops, lunch at small trout farm.
Afternoon return to Oaxaca.
June 5, Monday: Traditional Oaxacan Food and Women
Entrepreneurs
· We will participate in a food-focused tour with the
microfinance foundation, En Vía, learning directly from Oaxacan
women in indigenous villages how they use interest-free loans to
expand their small businesses and lift themselves out of poverty.
The tour includes visits to five women’s businesses, a meal, and an
opportunity for a hands-on dessert making class. (10 AM-4 PM).
Lunch included.
Readings/Video:
1. Lynn Stephen, “Ethnicity and Class in the Changing Lives of
Zapotec Women,”
Zapotec Women: Gender, class, and ethnicity in globalized Oaxaca
(Duke University Press, 2005)
2. Fundación En Vía video: https://vimeo.com/45496877
June 6, Tuesday
· Meet at Unitierra: Morning excursion to Monte Alban
archeological site and to visit makers of traditional alebrijes
(Oaxacan wood carving figures) in nearby villages. We will see
pre-Hispanic ruins with corn god imagery and folk art being made in
nearby villages (10 AM-3 PM)
Readings
1. Blanton, Richard, “Introduction,” Ancient Oaxaca: The Monte
Albán State.
June 7, Wednesday
· 9-10 AM: Discussion of readings on women and food sovereignty
in Oaxaca
· Discuss progress on research paper topic and ethnography with
me (10-12 PM)
· Time to work on final papers/study for exam
June 8, Thursday
· Presentations on your food ethnography in the morning (10-12
AM)
· Turn in short food ethnography paper along with your
presentation
· Check in with me about your final paper
June 9, Friday
· Final exam (10-12 AM)
· 8 P.M. Final class meal at Origen and conversation with
renowned chef Rodolfo Castellanos, http://www.origenoaxaca.com/
June 12, Monday
· Meet at airport for flight to Los Angeles
· Turn in final paper by midnight June 11th
V. Additional Readings and Films/Videos:
· Coe, Michael and Sophie, The True History of Chocolate (Thames
& Hudson, 2007).
· Cohen, Jeffrey, “The Oaxaca-U.S. Connection and Remittances.”
Migration Policy Institute (2005).
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/oaxaca-us-connection-and-remittances
· Esteva, Gustavo, Food policy in Mexico with James E.
Austin. (Boston: Cornell University Press, 1987).
· Esteva, Gustavo, Sin maíz no hay país. Con Catherine
Marielle (coord.). (México: CONACULTA 2003).
· Kennedy, Diane, Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy
(University of Texas Press, 2011)
· Pilcher, Jeffrey, Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican
Food (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012).
· Portnoy, Sarah, Food, Health and Culture in Latino Los Angeles
(Rowman & Littlefield, 2016).
· Weber, Devra, “The Oaxacan Enclaves of Los Angeles: A Photo
Essay,” The Journal of the Southwest Vol. 43, No. 4, Border Cities
and Culture (Winter, 2001), pp. 729-745.
· “Oaxaca, viaje de cultura y tradición.”
http://www.mexicoproduce.mx/destinos/oaxaca.html
· Documentaries:
· “Sin Maíz no hay país,”
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/festival/play/5911/Sin-Ma--z-No-Hay-Pa--s--Las-Semillas-de-la-Dignidad
· "Oaxaca: La Cara Magica del Otro Mexico" (Parte 1 y 2),
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gctAOWY4PC0