Food Vending and Acquisition in Texas Border Region Pulgas (Flea Markets) from Both Sides of the Counter

Abstract

A conceptual model for potential and realized food access was used to examine the factors that contribute to food vending and consumption of food items in pulgas (flea markets), a popular source of traditional foods and fresh fruits and vegetables among southern Texas border colonia residents. Specially trained promotoras (indigenous community health workers) identified and conducted field research in 5 pulgas. Observational data revealed pulgas to be locations where vendor and consumer agency, shaped by structural opportunities and constraints tied to social group formations such as ethnicity, nativity, class, and gender, enable a rich array of social interactions that frame food acquisition by colonia residents.