Food Truck Phenomenon (Response to “From Loncheras to Lobsta Love”)

Food trucks are a new phenomenon in many US cities, and provide a great way for marginalized and immigrant persons to contribute in their community. Food trucks have many positive effects in a city and can lead to an increase in social justice. In the article, “From Loncheras to Lobsta Love: Food trucks, cultural identity and social justice” by Julian Agyeman, food trucks take on a postmodernist approach. I found that this was an important article, because food trucks are a great way to open up new opportunities in the food system.

Food trucks have the ability to share the cultures of different people and ethnicities. It is proven that diets are a product of your culture. Many anthropological studies have affirmed, “that food choices are shaped by individual, cultural, historical, social, and economic influences.” Many of the first food trucks in the Los Angeles area were taco trucks also known as Loncheras. Many Latinos/Latinas immigrants ran their Loncheras as a way to sustain a cultural connection that they perhaps felt was lost when they moved to a new place. This reminded me of the talk we had from the Huerto de La Familia guest speaker regarding the importance of food culture within family dynamics.

The article claims food trucks to be postmodernist, because they do not fit the typical mold of a “brick and mortar” restaurant. One critique the restaurant owners point out in the realm of food trucks is that they, “have an unfair competitive advantage by vending on public space in city streets” and it can lead to a “turf-war.” Although this may be true for some business owners, generally, the food trucks and traditional restaurants have been able to co-exist.

Based on the article, Portland features a thriving food truck industry. Portland employs a “laissez faire” approach when it comes to laws and regulations with regards to food trucks, besides of course the enforcement of health and food safety decrees. I found it intriguing that Portland was at the forefront of the food truck industry, due to its close proximity to Eugene. I like the cities approach to how they let the people who run the food trucks to have a bit of freedom; I think it connects to the overall good things that are happening surrounding food trucks. I also think that Portland’s prominence with the industry could be contributing to the array of new food trucks opening up in Eugene, which is important for the community of Eugene.

One critique I had on the article was the use of the phrase an “increase in social justice,” because it seemed to be used too ambiguously. I did see in many ways that food trucks were helping with equality and leading to more job availability. Although this is positive and is moving towards social justice, I think they may have used the term social justice to loosely and were not the best at explaining the exact ways that the food trucks “increased social justice.” Overall, the article was a good start into viewing how food trucks can shape a community, but could have been more in depth with the social change associated.

In conclusion, I argue that food trucks are a great use of public space and bring many beneficial qualities to a city. Not only do they bring the general populous delicious meals they also create jobs and sustain cultural connections. Food trucks can be community building, but also an important economical industry situating them in a unique part of the food system.

Works Cited

http://julianagyeman.com/2013/06/from-loncheras-to-lobsta-love-food-trucks-cultural-identity-and-social-justice/