[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]his Thursday, April 26, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes will host “Mexican Street Food of L.A.: Elotes, Discrimination and Politics.” The talk comes on the heels of the Los Angeles City Council taking the first step to finally legalize street vending, and will involve a tasting courtesy of Boyle Heights street vendor and activist Merced Sanchez.
Giving the keynote speech is Sarah Portnoy, a professor in the Department of Spanish and American Studies and Ethnicity at USC. She's unique among Spanish professors in the United States in that she teaches students the language not through literature or films but through food. Her course, “The Culture of Food in Hispanic Los Angeles,” has students scour Los Angeles for restaurants to profile via blog posts that they write in español.
Portnoy spoke to L.A. TACO via email. Her talk starts at 7 p.m.; tickets cost $20 and come with food. LA Plaza is at 501 N. Main St., Los Angeles, (213) 542-6200. See you there!