Latin America in Phoenix: Presence through Cuisine and the Culture

In Arizona, many expect all and any Latin influence to come from Mexican immigrants but, in actuality, there are a variety of countries that have immigrants established themselves in the state. One of the best ways to learn a new culture and to become more empathetic is through their food. Knowing this, I went to several Latin American restaurants in the Phoenix valley to conduct ethnographic interviews with owners in order to analyze their cultural influence on the community and the overall impacts of culture, community, and Latinidad.