Children of the corn: An exploration of Midwest Latinx identity through the discourse of food

Eberline, Ana Lisa Padron

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129400 Copy

Description

Title

Children of the corn: An exploration of Midwest Latinx identity through the discourse of food

Author(s)

Eberline, Ana Lisa Padron

Issue Date

2025-04-16

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Cisneros, Josue David

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Cisneros, Josue David

Committee Member(s)

• Finnegan, Cara A
• Koven, Michele
• Del Real Viramontes, José

Department of Study

Communication

Discipline

Communication

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Latinx identity
• Midwest
• Food Culture: Rhetoric, Placemaking, Belonging

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to explore Latinx experiences working and living in the rural and suburban Midwest. Working to understand how this specific population constructs and/or maintains their cultural identity across predominantly White landscapes. By narrowing the scope and focusing on Latinxs within the food industry, I am underscoring a setting that historically has served as a gateway for Latinx labor in the U.S. and remains a site where culture is shared within the community. Given the predominance of Mexican and Latinx restaurants scattered across Midwest highways and backroads, food is a space where “ethnic” identities are to some degree accepted and maintained, even in the smallest towns. As a Latina who grew up in the rural Midwest, I have often wondered how my personal experiences fit into the larger identity of Latinidad. Through the exploration of participant narratives and everyday discourse, this study aims to critically examine how the imagery of food, discussions of food, and memory of eating reflects the complexity Latinidad in connection to place. Observing the ways Midwest Latinx identity specifically navigates the multiplicity of their identity across time and context. Additionally, this research acknowledges existing stereotypes of Latinx people, and explores how intersections of race, gender, socioeconomic status, citizenship, religion, and language play into structures of power and privilege.

Graduation Semester

2025-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129400

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2025 Ana Lisa Eberline

Owning Collections