The Wisdom Bar: "The Historical Migrations of Tacos in the USA: The real facts any taco lover should

The real facts any taco lover should know. Expert-led lectures in bars and creative spaces across NYC.

🌮 Are you ready to become a certified taco expert? Join us as we embark on a culinary adventure with a heaping side of history, context, and culture! 🌮

In this lecture Dr. Steven Alvarez examines the cultural importance of Mexican foodways in the USA, focusing on the history and significance of six different regional tacos, all of which can be found in New York City. Through this deep dive into the taco as icon, Dr. Alvarez will also dispel the myth that Mexican food from California and/or Texas are more authentic than Mexican food in New York City, focusing on the unique contributions of migrants from Puebla, Guerrero, and Oaxaca.

This might be for you if you...

• Are a taco enthusiast and looking to learn how to "read a taco" as part of Dr. Steven Alvarez's groundbreaking "taco literacy" movement
• Are intrigued by how the taco transformed when crossing the border
• Are curious about how America came to celebrate tacos
• Enjoy lecture-based and conversation-focused events of any kind — think Ted Talks in bars, Lectures on Tap, or micro learning meets dinner party
• Want to switch up your usual weeknight. Why not make it interesting? 🤓

Perfect for food lovers, history buffs, and anyone who wants a smarter weeknight out. Come solo or bring friends! See you there.

AGENDA

6:30 PM: Doors Open

6:30 PM - 7:00 PM: Grab a Drink!

7:00 PM - 7:45 PM: Lecture Begins

7:45 PM - 8:00 PM: Q&A

8:00 PM - 8:30 PM: Meet the Speaker & Mingle

Steven Alvarez is Professor of English at St. John's University in Queens. He is the author of Brokering Tareas: Mexican Immigrant Families Translanguaging Homework Literacies (State University of New York Press) and Community Literacies en Confianza: Learning from Bilingual After-School Programs (National Council of Teachers of English), and four novels in verse. Dr. Alvarez’s current research studies Mexican migration in New York City through the prism of food, specifically “taco literacy.”