2. Street Vending in Los Angeles: A Cultural Economic Innovation

Abstract

Chapter 2 situates the study historically in the context of U.S. and Mexican migration and traces the formation of the street vending economy in urban centers in México and in U.S. cities such as Los Angeles and New York. The chapter demonstrates that street vending across the border is linked to macro structural forces and is not solely derivative of Latinx cultural practices. The chapter also highlights the historical precedent of street vending in the United States, as opposed to portraying the work as a direct cultural transplant from Latin America. The Latinx street vendors in Los Angeles immigrated to a society where street vending had been an economic strategy since the early nineteenth century. The chapter notes that as a result of both political turmoil and the rise of a foodie culture based on “authenticity,” attitudes toward street vendors are becoming more sympathetic and respectful, leading to the decriminalization of street vending across the state of California.