How Flama Develops Their Pupusa-Related Content
Back in March of this year, when we discovered that Whole Foods sold frozen pupusas, I wrote the following:
“While some people may not see this as such a big deal, as a Salvadoran, I find it personally abhorrent to see a staple of my own culture to be appropriated, bastardized, homogenized, and commercialized for the profit of white people. It triggers memories of how much of our history as Central Americans has been mediated by the expropriation of our resources and culture by white capitalists seeking to make an easy buck. But also from an analytical perspective, it also denotes that the Salvadoran community has reached a point of cultural hypervisibility in the United States, leaving us open to the predation of the racist white imaginary, which operates on the exotification and fetishization of the ‘other.’ “
In the 7 months since then, a new factor has popped up: so-called latinx media websites, such as Flama and We are mitú, who seem to be operating as bridges between Latinidad and whiteness. Both websites have produced content centering around Central American cuisine and culture. But unfortunately, much of this content seems rather poorly researched. Rather than create media content that respects, honors, and accurately reflects our communities, we are instead treated to media that 1) collapses Mexican and Central American culture together, 2)generates content that is little more than tourism propaganda, 3) or celebrates the diverse ways white people have bastardized our cultural culinary staples. In the end, it is media that is inherently intended for a white audience.
In any event, here is my response. Hope you enjoy it!
For a great reseource on the gentrificaiton of pupusas, please read this SalvaCultura article:
http://www.salvacultura.com/…/the-gentrification-of-pupusas…