The thing I remember most about my grandma is the way she smiled as she plopped down steaming bowls of soup as we sat around the table. Her cooking no matter how simple or elaborate was unifying. My grandma was devoted to our family and it was reflected in many ways, most of all through her cooking. We felt her love with every bite. She was a complex and extraordinary woman and we adored her. She beamed with joy through each loud chuckle; she emitted creativity, resourcefulness, and above all, strength as she was the anchor of the family.
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Poema
"Abuelita" By: Rosa Elena Gutierrez
La Cocina
Rediscovering the kitchen as a space
Displacement
Coping with Loss and Identify
La Sobremesa
Final words at the table
Thesis:
Through relearning the cultural foods my grandma made I aim to revive collective memories, reclaim identity, and heal the displacement that occurred after losing my elders.
At the beginning of COVID, I lost my last 2 remaining grandparents three weeks apart, leaving my family suddenly without our elders, our storytellers, our recipe keepers, and our teachers.
I know my story is similar to other stories, as the pandemic has led to lost connections with the older generations through travel restrictions, isolation, illness, or death. In this Capstone project, I’ve challenged myself to recapture the foods I remember most from my grandma and to record my growth as I become comfortable cooking these dishes on my own. While cooking, I want to be inspired by the real reason these foods matter; sharing memories, maintaining our culture, and celebrating life as we move forward.
Also, as an anthropologist, I feel hope for regeneration and want to collect, record, honor, and pass down the legacy left to us.
Mole
Understanding my grandma and our past
Tamales
Womanhood/Unity and Resiliency
Chocolate
Senses and my grandfather
Piñas
Celebration and Family
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*Capstone: The final project for graduating Anthropology students*