Made in Italy: Representing Italian Identity in the Commercialization of Foodways
(Ventura College)
Italian Americans have successfully incorporated their foods into American society. Evident in the numerous Italian restaurants throughout the country, the high degree of popularity of Italian gastronomy is widespread. With this in mind, there are various topics to examine concerning the expression of Italian ethnic identity. The representation of this conceptualized ethnic identity with the global (the commodification of food customs and food items) leads to the discussion of the local (traditional food customs).
This paper explores the marketing of ethnic cuisine as commodifying foodways along with the traditional significance and cultural values, which exists behind it. Issues of representation emerge as current markets favor large-scale corporate franchises attempting to provide an authentic image of Italian food traditions and the values embedded within them, at the same time that the number of mom-and-pop restaurants diminish.