Journal of Contemporary Ethnography

 

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Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Vol. 37, No. 3, 314-341 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0891241607309621

From Sombreros to Sincronizadas

Authenticity, Ethnicity, and the Mexican Restaurant Industry

Marie Sarita Gaytán

University of California, Santa Cruz

While scholars agree that performances of authenticity and ethnicity express social relations and reveal the socially constructed character of identity, we know little about how these interactions contribute to the politics of everyday life. By engaging in participant observation, drawing on open-ended interviews, and analyzing the content of available data regarding restaurant culture, the author argues that the accomplishment of Mexican authenticity is a social construction. However, despite its socially created qualities, the author contends that performances of authenticity and ethnicity affect not only how individuals understand each other, but illustrate the challenges faced by different groups of people in the commercial production and consumption of identity.

Key Words: authenticity • consumption • ethnicity • representation • restaurants


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