The Wisdom Bar – "Historical Migrations of Tacos in the USA: Taco Lovers"

💡 A smarter night out in NYC—fascinating speakers and real conversation. 💡

🌮 Are you ready to become a certified taco expert? Join us as we embark on a culinary adventure with a heaping side of history, context, and culture! 🌮

In this lecture Dr. Steven Alvarez examines the cultural importance of Mexican foodways in the USA, focusing on the history and significance of six different regional tacos, all of which can be found in New York City. Through this deep dive into the taco as icon, Dr. Alvarez will also touch upon the ancient origins of corn, the chemical process of nixtamization, the important cultural distinctions between corn and flour tortillas, and a taxonomy of antojitos, of which the taco is one of the most popular across the nation. Alvarez will also dispel the myth that Mexican food from California and/or Texas are more authentic than Mexican food in New York City, focusing on the unique contributions of migrants from Puebla, Guerrero, and Oaxaca who make the Mexican food scene in New York different, not better or worse.

Steven Alvarez is Professor of English at St. John's University in Queens. He is the author of Brokering Tareas: Mexican Immigrant Families Translanguaging Homework Literacies (State University of New York Press) and Community Literacies en Confianza: Learning from Bilingual After-School Programs (National Council of Teachers of English), and four novels in verse. Dr. Alvarez’s current research studies Mexican migration in New York City through the prism of food, specifically “taco literacy.”

We'll explore:

• How can one read a taco?
• Where and when did tacos originate?
• How has the taco transformed when crossing the border?
• What are taco trends that have spread across the nation?

This might be for you if you...

• Are intrigued by historical context of the food industry and our favorite dishes
• Are a taco enthusiast of any kind
• Are curious about how America came to celebrate tacos
• Enjoy lecture-based and conversation-focused events of any kind — think Ted Talks in bars, Lectures on Tap, or micro learning meets dinner party
• Want to switch up your usual weeknight. Why not make it interesting? 🤓

Event venue & nearby stays

Room 52, 212 East 52nd Street, New York, United States

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