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Some of the images and products presented within this creative portfolio are designed to be controversial. The reasoning behind this approach is to expose stereotypes and issues that many of us do not realize that we hold onto. Chola’s Kitchen is an example where I have used a moc-up of a restaurant proposal to play on a stereotype and the way that the cultural meaning is changing.

 

The most popular stereotype shows a cholo as a Latino male that is a member of a gang or a thug-like character and a chola as a Latino woman who is associated to a gang either as a girlfriend or as an actual member. Due to 1990’s gang riots that took over the country, the negative image of the cholo culture was ingrained into our minds without fully understanding the cultural heritage behind it. Cholo was originally a term used to define a person or group of people of mix racial heritage in Latin-America during the Colonial period. Originally it came from the word “Coyote”, in order to denigrate people of European and Native American heritage. The 90’s gang riots were an explosion of people’s frustration with the lack of government security and employment opportunities. Due to what was happening in the Latino communities of the time, the image of a cholo as a gang member was solidified.

 

However, the frightening image of this ethnic group related to violence is now being transformed into one’s embrace of their cultural heritage. Many people within the Latin-American community are now using the term to refer to someone who takes care of his or her family and community. Since food is a major part of the Latino culture, I used that aspect to bring about Chola’s Kitchen. The decorum and theme are designed to be a fusion of rural and urban aspects which are related to the Latino community's change from rural, farming lifestyle to the migration into urban areas for greater economic opportunities.