The Gentrification of Pupusas

The Gentrification of Pupusas: frijol con queso, but hold, Detain, the Salvadorans!

3/18/2016

By Daniel Alvarenga

A pupusa in its natural habitat. Suchitoto, El Salv.

The first time I saw white people in a pupusería was on my first trip to San Francisco's Mission district in the mid-2000s. Growing up in inland Southern California I had never in my life seen a nuclear White family venture into the hood to have the fried, flat delicacy of my people. As they walked in, my Salvadoran-American guides to The City scoffed something about “displacement and invasion” under their breaths – this wasn’t a scene of first contact.

At the time I had no idea what they were on about, I took away from that encounter thinking that San Francisco had some fairly open-minded white folks. If you fast forward more than half a decade later you can catch me in a pupusería in that same neighborhood and I may be the only Salvadoran there besides the staff. It’s not just white folks but other people of color as well, in their majority eating pupusas with cutlery, something verboten in Latin America’s smallest country. Sometimes not even the staff is Salvadoran, which gives me negative flashbacks to another encounter in San Francisco: pupusas with a choice of ketchup or Mexican salsa roja. These shake-my-head worthy experiences as a SoCal transplant to the Bay Area has lead me to what on-the-surface seems like a positive conclusion: pupusas are more popular than ever.

Salvadorans, for whom pupusas are almost solely attributed to, are the fourth largest Latino group in the United States. However, assigning pupusas to the whole of El Salvador is somewhat of a contemporary stretch too. They were invented by the indigenous peoples on land now considered the western part of El Salvador, and it's disputed that parts of Honduras & Guatemala lay claim to them as well. For example, my mother is from the fringes of eastern El Salvador in La Union off of Gulf of Fonseca that we share with Nicaragua and Honduras. Growing up in those parts in the 1950s and 60s, pupusas where not a frequent staple in her life as she came to know them later when she moved to the capital of San Salvador in the 1970s. Therefore, pupusas more or less went viral in the mid 20th century and the momentum is still going.

Crimes Against Pupusas

People may not even know a single Salvadoran, but they are “discovering” pupusas every day, lost and rebranding things in the grand tradition of Christopher Columbus. From frozen gluten-free pupusas made by a not-so-Salvadoran sounding Cindy English that retails at Whole Foods to round (as in, not flat) plantain paleo pupusas that satisfy a white girl named Kaitlin's "Puerto Rican food cravings.” I’ve heard of the fabled plantain-based pupusas de banano from Alegría, Usulután, but I doubt they look like that or can satiate anyone’s craving for an island 1,500 miles away from El Salvador.

There are even times when people get pupusas almost right but not quite. In April 2015 the Los Angeles Times ran a piece titled “Where to get pupusas in Los Angeles” by foodie writer Cecilia Hae Jin-Lee, a seemingly innocuous article that profiles five places you can support Salvadoran businesses and grub on this fine delicacy of the Central American isthmus. That is until you come up on this line, “We have the Salvadoran civil war in the '80s to thank for the wide availability of the dish.” Twitter discovered this recently, almost a year later but a swift backlash ensued:

This article has a line that really pissed me off: Where to get pupusas in Los Angeles https://t.co/Ej6FZeYiEf
— Polemicist (@PalmTreesnGz) February 23, 2016

"We have the Salvadoran civil war in the '80s to thank for the wide availability of the dish."

What. The. Fuck. https://t.co/3CKuCeeIR5
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) February 24, 2016

While it is factually true that the dissemination of pupusas world-wide is the product of the barbarous US-sponsored 12-year civil war, it is nary something to be thankful for. While we are at it here are some things we can thank the Salvadoran Civil War for: 80,000 deceased or missing people, permanent familial separation, and generational trauma. It was a genocide that my parents, siblings, and friends fled from and thus shouldn’t be thrown around lightly. I can assure anyone that fulfilling the voyeuristic gastronomic interests of hipsters was not first on our agenda. At the very least though the Los Angeles Times removed the reference to the war and the author apologized on Twitter. This further revealed to me that when it comes to our own traditions in this country, Salvadorans are talked about but never consulted. Our cuisine, which is our labor, is seen and embraced but somehow we aren’t.

#Pupusasgate in context

We are living in a time when our cuisine is more popular than ever, but there are greater efforts than ever to keep Central Americans physically out the of the picture. Historically Central American neighborhoods like San Francisco’s Mission and Los Angeles’s Echo Park have been divested of our people through gentrification. On the immigration front, we have a Central American refugee crisis where this nation is debating sending children back to violence or putting them in detention. And this country has the gall to do that after the U.S. funded military dictatorships and armed conflicts in Central America in decades prior, installed economically devastating free trade policies (DR-CAFTA), and whose criminal justice system churned out the MS-13 international gang composed of deported child refugees from the 1980s Salvadoran Civil War. It’s a cycle of imperialist violence that sees no end in sight, and it’s that brutality that brought pupusas to your plate, food trucks, foodie blogs, hispandering Buzzfeed listicles, and half-hearted Yelp reviews.

12 Comments

hector

3/18/2016 12:23:51 pm

this is what happens when service and consumption are integral to your economy while humanitarian concerns are pushed to the very outskirts of the margins. people are seen as means to ends-- in this case, salvadorans seen as a means to get the end: a pupusa. humans, actual salvadorans, on the other hand, are left behind.

Silvia Yan-Clark

3/21/2016 04:15:52 pm

A great article great read, I love it, as I read it, I could hear my father voice taking over. The love and pride for his people. Thank you

Carmen

3/20/2016 05:23:07 am

Interesante artículo aunque con una fuerte carga etnocentrista. Aunque sabemos que su origen se remonta a la época prehispánica, todavía no sabemos dónde exactamente fueron creadas - ¿Y si fuera en el Trifinio, zona ahora fronteriza que comparten El Salvador, Guatemala y Honduras?. Muy cierto que el comentaro de Los Angeles Times fue desafortunado. En El Salvador también se cometen crímenes de lesa gastronomía, atentando contra los platillos internacionales. Ahora, que todo es producto de la globalización, ¿por qué será la "cosa" que más nos representa en el extranjero?

Daniel

3/20/2016 12:40:05 pm

Hola Carmen. Soy el escritor del artículo. Aunque sé que hay un debate por el orígen de las pupusas, eso no fue el punto. Mi audience es centroamericanos en EEUU que por lo tanto ni saben que se encuentran en Honduras (yo mencioné eso). Pero es un excelente punto que se debe difundir más. Lo cierto es que su popularidad en EEUU fue traído por los Salvadoreños en los 80s

El poder del mercado EEUU es muy diferente a lo del Salvadoreño y no te tengo que decir. Está bien experimentar nuevos platos...pero al mismo tiempo no es correcto que los anglosajones se hagan ricos de nuestra cultura cuando nosotros estamos luchando para sobrevivir en este país...y unas de esas formas de sobrevivir es vender nuestra comida típica.

Marjorie

3/20/2016 07:40:44 pm

Hola Daniel, no entendi bien tu comentario acerca de que los anglosajones se hagan ricos vendiendo pupusas y los mismos Salvadoreños no hacen plata de la venta de pupusas. Sera porque ellos saben promocionar el producto? En tal caso en los negocios el que tiene mejor modelo de venta es el que sale adelante. Talvez es necesario ayudar con desarollo de negocios a la communidad Salvadoreña?

Roberto

3/23/2016 07:52:53 am

Entonces nos toca a nosotros (los salvadoreños en EEUU) ponernos las pilas. Antes de hecharle la culpa a otros, hay que ver que es lo que estamos haciendo nosotros. Yo vivi mucho tiempo en Houston y no se si puedo decir que he ido a una pupuseria donde me hayan atendido bien (servicio rapido, amable, etc.). En EEUU es comercio libre y si alguien no hace buen trabajo alguien mas viene y le gana el negocio--eso es un hecho.
A lo mejor estas "pupuserias" de anglosajones son populares porque dan mejor servicio al cliente, son limpios, y en zonas seguras y atractivas de la ciudad.
No estoy defendiendo que alguien ajeno nos quite lo que nos identifica a nosotros en este pais, pero tambien hay que reconocer lo que no hacemos bien para mejorar.

Daniel Alvarenga link

3/20/2016 08:03:07 pm

Tarea para usted Marjorie, investiga lo que es "gentrification." El fenómeno que hace que muchos negocios y hogares de inmigrantes latinoamericanos (pero también afroamericanos y otras minorías étnicas) tienen que ser abandonados a favor a anglosajones ricos. Tiene mucho que ver con racismo estructural en EEUU, y si uno no la ha vivido talvez no lo entenderá. Pero sepa gentrification es una gran barrera contra el desarrollo muchas comunidades marginadas.

Carlos B. Cordova

3/22/2016 09:26:43 am

I found your article interesting but as an academic, anthropologist and Central American scholar I found a series of problems with your analysis of the origins, cultural dissemination of pupusas in the U.S. as well as your claims attributing the Salvadoran migrations of the 1980s as the agent for the cultural diffusion of pupusas in the U.S.
I agree with Carmen in her comments that the real origin of pupusas is unknown in Central America. Just a few years ago, there was a big debate in El Salvador and Honduras in regards to their origins, and it was determined then that their origins was actually in Honduras not El Salvador. In addition, pupusas have evolved over the centuries as now we have them traditionally made with cheese, chicharrones, frijoles or revueltas. But we must consider that in ancient Mesoamerica there was no beef, pork, chicken or lamb and therefore we do not find cheese. If pupusas existed in ancient Mesoamerica they were probably filled with beans, squashes, and other native products. I remember as a child in El Salvador in the 1950s that pupusas de pepescas (small dried fish) were sold at the train station in Cojutepeque.
You also comment that your article was not about pupusas but about the Salvadoran migrations caused by the civil war, well, that is a long stretch as your article's subtitle is addressing the gentrification of pupusas.
I have been conducting research on Central American migrations and the cultural experience of Central Americans in the U.S. I have to point out that prior to the 1980s there were at least five major migration waves of Salvadorans and other Central Americans to this country. The first one actually took place at the time of the Gold Rush in California around 1849, and then a very large migration took place in the 1930s also escaping the political repression creating by the rising military powers in the region.
When I first arrived in San Francisco in 1965 there were already a number of Salvadoran restaurants that had been established for quite some time and served a variety of Salvadoran dishes including pupas not only to Latinos but to others as well. I remember traveling to Los Angeles, Houston, and other cities were Salvadoran communities existed at that time and pupusas were also popularly sold in Salvadoran restaurants. And by the way pupusas are not fried, but actually cooked over a comal or a plancha! they are greasy because of the meat and cheese that are added to them.
I have to say that the immigrants and refugees that arrived in the 1980s did revitalize and further developed the Salvadoran and Central American communities in this country, but there had been many others that arrived in large numbers in prior migrations in the 1930s, during World War II, in the 50s, and especially in the 60s that helped develop the foundations of Central American communities and enclaves in this country and throughout the Salvadoran diaspora.
I encourage you to continue doing research and writing about our experience in this country and elsewhere, but the research needs to be extensive and inclusive.

In solidarity
Carlos B. Cordova, professor
Latina Latino Studies
San Francisco State University

J. Figueroa Russell

4/8/2016 11:25:10 pm

I cannot believe this comment discussion basically devolved into a conversation about the origins of pupusas. Having said that, let me add to it-- pupusas originated in El Salvador. I'm not going to debate a fact. My grandmother and grandfather grew up eating pupusas in Chalatenango and their parents did too (sort of).

As for the article, I don't know how to feel about it. It seems like a valid rant with valid points. Personally, I don't have a problem with frozen, gluten-free pupusas being sold at Whole Foods. Pupusas are by nature gluten free, the label is just a marketing gimmick. Does the problem then lie in the fact that "Cindy English" doesn't sound Salvadoran? What does Salvadoran sound like, like Spanish? Schafik Handal and Roberto D'Aubuisson don't sound very Spanish but no one will deny their Salvadoran-ness. As someone who’s had to face a life full of “you don’t look Salvadoran, you don’t sound Salvadoran” it’s frustrating to see something like this on a website dealing with Salvadoran culture and politics, it is invalidating me as a Salvi person.

Like the author I also grew up in Southern California, granted it was coastal Los Angeles, and not the inland but still SoCal. I remember my mom driving us to the Westlake/Pico-Union/Mid-City area for pupusas when she got really nostalgic for food. Atlacatl is still one of my favorite restaurants to this day. Like the author I am both glad and concerned about the growing popularity of the pupusa. Let’s be real though— we knew this was coming. Who can escape from its siren-like call? On a more serious note, I believe the raise of the pupusa coincides with our own (Salvi) rise to the national stage. As the population of Salvadorans has increased, so too, has our visibility. Granted there remains A LOT to be done. But speaking from personal experience I think we as Salvadorans are becoming more known, not just as housekeepers or mareros, but as a significant population. When I was in high school people who found out I was Hispanic would follow up by asking “are you Mexican or El Salvadoran”. We are still a young community coming of age, I mean, this website would not have existed when I was in high school and that was three years ago! We are slowly making inroads into American society and I look forward to the next 10 years where I’m expecting a Renaissance of Salvi culture in the US (you may say I’m a dreamer lol).

Maybe we should see this as an opportunity to educate people about our culture, maybe some entrepreneurial Salvi should start their own brand of frozen, pupusas or charamuscas. I agree with Carmen, maybe we should help develop the Salvadoran business sector more in this country. Most Salvadorans with the exception of some extreme, radical leftists (USEU) probably won’t care about this. We know where to get good, authentic pupusas. I see the rise of our popularity as an opportunity, maybe instead of critiquing Buzzfeed articles we should start writing our own Buzzfeed articles, so we can speak for ourselves. Maybe we should move back to our communities to keep the flavor or do college-educated Salvis moving into Echo Park, MacArthur Park, Mid-City count as gentrifiers? If our time in the light is coming we should use every resource at our disposal to make a positive splash, it’s great we recognize it, let’s start speaking without stopping as our people tend to do. What we really need, without a doubt, is a place where Salvis can congregate and socialize.

Thanks for providing a space where Salvis can see themselves reflected, hopefully you guys keep updating the site!

Salú,

J. Figueroa Russell, Salvi student

Beba

6/25/2016 02:09:03 pm

A quien le importa de donde SE originó la pupusa ese no Es el punto ademas la pupusa la hicimos famosos Los salvadoreños Los hondureños tienen sus baleadas todo el mundo sabe que Los hondureños por siglos nos an querido pelear todo nos quieren pelear la salida al pacifico nos querian pelear las pupusas nos pelean la isla conoje nos hicieron una guerra por culpa de Un pu.to partido de futbol ellos son unos y me revienta que Los salvadoreños Los esten defendiendo y venga a decir "hay no digas que la pupusa Es de nosotros porque no SE sabe a donde SE creó" a quien le importa eso??? Le quieren dar el credito a Los hondureños ahora o que??? La pupusa Es nuestra porque nosotros la Hemos difundido en todas partes Del mundo en nuestro pais hay miles de maneras de hacer pupusas de arroz, de maiz, con camarones con pepesca con hongos con loroco y la lista sigue yo les invito a Los que les molesta que la pupusa sea salvadoreña a que no entren a comer pupusas salvadoreñas vayan y Coman sus pupusas hondureñas y deje de jo.der.

Jorge

3/22/2016 01:34:47 pm

Hi Carlos,

Thanks for your thoughtful contribution. As an editor of SalvaCultura, let me share some thoughts to the lively discussion this piece has generated! So, it appears to me that Daniel’s piece doesn't actively exclude those previous migrations of Salvadorans and Central Americans into the United States that you rightly bring up or the indigenous origins of all foods from the isthmus. What it appears to be highlighting is the contemporary commercialization and displacement of Salvadorans and Salvadoran-owned businesses that have traditionally been the site of diffusing Salvadoran dishes, culture, products, etc. since the 1980s. The real focus here is on this broader trend of the gastronomic commercialization of minority dishes through "ethnic food" and foodie culture that fetishizes 'culinary difference' without recognizing 'demographic difference' or its historical provenance. I’ll go as far as to say that Daniel’s piece is precisely about the erosion of those businesses, restaurants, tienditas, etc. that you encountered in 1960s San Francisco. Today, as one example, you see this with the dispute of Central American food vendors with the city of New York.

Your point on Honduras and Carmen’s point on the origin of the dish in the Trifinio area is well-taken, and highlights the irrelevance of nation-state geographies to the question of cultural production in the form of food, music, art, etc. going all the way back before the unfolding of Spanish settler colonialism. What you say about the transformation of the dish over time is a good point in highlighting the non-static nature of food and its correlation to agricultural labor, barter economies, and the changing flora/fauna in the region.

It also should be said that the previous waves of migration from Central America to the United States have not been quite as marked as deviant or undesirable as the one he's focusing on here (1980s-present). If I recall, those previous migrations which includes those of the Gold Rush largely ended in people circling back and repatriating to their countries of origin. The numbers of folks migrating are also markedly different, thus their impact on "American culture" was much more muted and localized to certain places where Salvadoran communities lived, in a time where slumming, gentrification, etc. was off the table since segregation was an inescapable reality that didn’t encourage comingling let alone urban food adventurism. It was also a different class of folks migrating, with phenotypical differences that must be taken into consideration. You probably know more about this than I do.

The present trend that Daniel is pointing to is not ahistorical when you think of the variety of pieces in foodie blogs, big papers, the academic literature etc. that continue to drone on and on about the 'coming ethnic food craze around the pupusa.' The piece is about consuming authenticity and the “urban cultural experience” of food adventurism largely designed by and for the discerning white consumer. We can think here of how Salvadoran food vendors (including Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, etc.) have been physically and economically displaced from selling their goods in historically important locations and neighborhoods—from New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and others—it’s the same story.

To the point: the "gentrification" of the piece signals the pushing out of Salvadorans, in body and spirit, from the transacting of Salvadoran goods as they are being slowly subsumed into the marketplace of "ethnic foods" as produced by an industrial palate catered to the taste buds of whites. It also point to the physical displacement of ethnic food production—carts, food trucks, pupuserias, etc. to another place away from these new sites of consumption—the mall, the Whole Foods and its associated complex of businesses. It is talking about both the life and death of authentic food and the cultural baggage that it carries, at least in its present iteration. The indigeneity of the dish is present in the present-day practices that have developed around pupusa-making in El Salvador and elsewhere as a form of community formation, maintaining of tradition, and the alternative, informal economy it represents—that is, if we see modern popular practices as echoing practices past. It is these ‘social and political relations’ embodied in/by the pupusa as a subsistence food in contemporary El Salvador that is being lost on the fickle white consumer (e.g. the recent historical injustice of CAFTA-DR that subsidized cheap corn and changed the Salvadoran diet to nutrient-lacking foodstuffs such as fast food and the ‘greasy’ pupusa of today) as they move onto the next thing in their imaginary tourism through food. Pupusa ingredients track contemporary history as much as they refer back to their pre-Columbian origins.

Jorge

Jesus Figueroa-Russell

4/8/2016 11:26:51 pm

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