SFA is please to announce the publication of “Confianza en la Frontera: A Cultural Glimpse at the Nogales Produce Industry,” by Nicholas Hartmann. The study looks at the produce industry in Nogales, Arizona, where generations of families have passed on knowledge and practices about transporting, storing, and marketing Mexican-grown vegetables in the United States. An occupational folklore, the study uses interviews with produce workers and family members to understand institutional knowledge about the industry. The paper highlights three primary areas: 1) the industry as a familial occupational tradition; 2) the role of trust in the industry; and 3) historic and current challenges faced by produce industry professionals and strategies used to overcome them.
The study was researched and written by Nicholas Hartmann as part of his work as folklorist-in-residence with the SFA in 2015-16 and was supported by the Archie Green Fellowship of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
View a web version of the report here.
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