My research is grounded in a commitment to understanding how systems of inequality shape everyday life—especially for Black, Latinx, and low-income communities navigating scarcity and structural neglect. I focus on food systems as a lens to examine broader questions of survival, dignity, and justice. Whether studying household cooking in Cuba, food justice organizing in Los Angeles, or seed keeping in the U.S. South, I center the lived experiences of those most impacted by social, economic, and racial inequities. Across all of my work, I aim to produce scholarship that not only documents injustice but also amplifies the strategies people use to care for one another, build community, and imagine more equitable futures.
current projects
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What makes a crop culturally meaningful? What seeds are worth saving? Who decides? The Heirloom Gardens Oral History Project is our contribution to answering those questions. The project aims to document the stories of farmers, gardeners, and seed savers who are stewarding traditionally significant plants and seeds. The project grows out of a collaboration between Princeton University, Spelman College, and Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance (UCFA), a collective of seed growers specializing in heirloom plant varieties.
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Given the rising cost of food in Puerto Rico, 85% of which is imported, why don’t Puerto Ricans eat more local seafood? This is a question that plagues the island’s 2,000 artisanal fishers who make a living selling fish to the public. This research analyzes the multiple issues facing small-scale fishers in Puerto Rico’s fishing villages from climate disaster to coastal development, clashing views on conservation and the dangers of life at sea. This research seeks to understand what role commercial fishers could have in leveraging Puerto Rico’s marine ecologies to increase food sovereignty while protecting marine environments for long term benefit of both humans and aquatic life.
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PAST RESEARCH
SANTIAGO DE CUBA: HOUSEHOLD FOOD CONSUMPTION
From 2008 to 2019, I conducted ethnographic research in Santiago de Cuba to understand how families navigate food scarcity in a faltering socialist welfare state. I found that as state support diminished, individuals faced increasing stress and responsibility in securing culturally meaningful meals. This work introduces the concept of the politics of adequacy, exploring how Cubans resist scarcity and define what counts as a “decent meal.” The findings of this long-term study culminated in my book, Food in Cuba: The Pursuit of a Decent Meal.
From 2008 to 2019, I conducted ethnographic research in Santiago de Cuba to understand how families navigate food scarcity in a faltering socialist welfare state. I found that as state support diminished, individuals faced increasing stress and responsibility in securing culturally meaningful meals. This work introduces the concept of the politics of adequacy, exploring how Cubans resist scarcity and define what counts as a “decent meal.” The findings of this long-term study culminated in my book, Food in Cuba: The Pursuit of a Decent Meal.
LOS ANGELES: FOOD JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS
Spanning research from 2008 to 2024, this project examines the rise of the food justice movement in Los Angeles through the work of nonprofit and government organizations in South and East LA. Focusing on predominantly Black and Latinx communities, I analyze how these groups confront inequality, racism, and the structural barriers to food access. The book traces the movement’s momentum, documents the strategies leaders use to build support, and reveals the tensions that arise when well-meaning interventions fall short. This research forms the foundation of my forthcoming book, Food Justice Undone: Lessons for Building a Better Movement (University of California Press, Spring 2026).
Spanning research from 2008 to 2024, this project examines the rise of the food justice movement in Los Angeles through the work of nonprofit and government organizations in South and East LA. Focusing on predominantly Black and Latinx communities, I analyze how these groups confront inequality, racism, and the structural barriers to food access. The book traces the movement’s momentum, documents the strategies leaders use to build support, and reveals the tensions that arise when well-meaning interventions fall short. This research forms the foundation of my forthcoming book, Food Justice Undone: Lessons for Building a Better Movement (University of California Press, Spring 2026).
SOUTH LA: HOUSEHOLD FOOD ACCESS & BASIC NEEDS AFTER COVID-19
Beginning in Fall 2021 I am starting a new research project on household food access and basic needs after COVID-19 within households in South Los Angeles. The disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and economic wellbeing of the South LA community has shifted the kinds of struggles that area households face. Community organizations developed rapid emergency interventions to address immediate needs for secure housing and sufficient food and water. As the community recovers from the pandemic and their household needs shift, they will draw on community resources, kinship networks, and friends in new and diverse ways. This research seeks to understand how South LA residents navigate area infrastructures and community organizations in order to facilitate access to basic needs and enable survival. This work is in collaboration with Community Services Unlimited, Inc (CSU, Inc) and the Paul Robeson Community Wellness Center.
Beginning in Fall 2021 I am starting a new research project on household food access and basic needs after COVID-19 within households in South Los Angeles. The disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and economic wellbeing of the South LA community has shifted the kinds of struggles that area households face. Community organizations developed rapid emergency interventions to address immediate needs for secure housing and sufficient food and water. As the community recovers from the pandemic and their household needs shift, they will draw on community resources, kinship networks, and friends in new and diverse ways. This research seeks to understand how South LA residents navigate area infrastructures and community organizations in order to facilitate access to basic needs and enable survival. This work is in collaboration with Community Services Unlimited, Inc (CSU, Inc) and the Paul Robeson Community Wellness Center.