Sarah Portnoy

Research, Teaching, Practice, and Clinical Appointments

• lecturer, USC ,

Visiting and Temporary Appointments

• Visiting Assistant Professor, Oberlin College, 2005-2006

Summary Statement of Research Interests

My current research is on the culture of food in Hispanic Los Angeles and Hispanic culinary culture in general. I am in contact with various chefs, writers, journalists and bloggers as part of my research/pedagogical investigation. I have been researching the topics of food and identity, food and immigration, food and community/family celebrations, and food and political/social issues, particularly as they relate to the Hispanic population of Los Angeles.
I have been visiting loncheras (taco trucks), restaurants from various regions of Mexico as well as Spanish-speaking countries, and eateries that range from street carts to high end cuisine to study how these locales relate to the topics mentioned above (food and globalization, immigration, identity, social issues, community, etc.)
I am particularly interested in food and health/policy issues. I have been researching about issues of diabetes and obesity in the Hispanic community and discussing the issue with experts in the field at USC in order to bring this knowledge to my class.

I was asked to submit an article for a new UC on-line journal on my current research. I have also begun to participate in the growing field of Food Studies through conferences, etc.

I have also been researching how to use blogs in my teaching. Currently, my studies are using the USC sponsored Wiki to create their own blogs. They upload photos, videos and maps detailing their experiences onto their blogs. They write in Spanish about the topic assigned for a given week and integrate theoretical concepts from the reading into their blog.

In addition, I have been researching the field of food writing. What makes food writing appealing and interesting to read? In order for my students to write interesting blogs, I need to teach them how to use all their senses in their writing and how to tell a story that will be entertaining to their audience. So far, this project has been very successful and I hope to be able to continue this ongoing project and apply my knowledge to future classes.

My past research was on various forms of Hispanic folklore that originate in medieval Iberia. I have done fieldwork in Spain, Cuba, and Mexico since 1997. I wrote a dissertation on the Hispanic ballad of Delgadina and how it evolved as a Spanish romance, Cuban children’s song, and Mexican and Mexican-American corrido.

I have incorporated my background in Folklore into my current research on food and culture by viewing each chef, cook, customer, and so on as an informant with an interesting and important story to tell whose history is a vital part of the dish itself. Thus, my interest in folklore continues in a new and exciting field.

Research Keywords

Food Studies, health inequities and food, access and food, diabetes, food and public policy, Mexican cuisine, Los Angeles, lonchera, Food and identity, blogs, technology and pedagogy, Food writing, food and social issues, Food trucks, Folklore, Food and visual representation, food and regionalism

USC Funding

• Center for Excellence in Teaching, Fund for Innovation in Teaching. The Culture of Food in Hispanic Los Angeles $5,000, 2009-2010

Conference Presentations

• “”A Quest for Authenticity: Teaching about the Tradition of Mexican Food in Los Angeles.” , Future of Folklore, Western States Folklore SocietyTalk/Oral Presentation, Department of Anthropology, Invited, USC , 2011-2012
• “A Quest for Authenticity: The Tradition of Mexican Food in Los Angeles” , Global Gateways and Local Connections: Cities, Agriculture, and the Future of Food SystemsTalk/Oral Presentation, New School and NYU, Invited, New York University , 2011-2012
• “The Situation of Sephardic Jews in Contemporary Cuba” , UC IrvineTalk/Oral Presentation, Dept. of Jewish Studies and Spanish Dept., Invited, UC Irvine, 2008-2009
• “The Theme of Immigration in the Corridos of Los Tigres del Norte” , Conference in Honor of Guillermo HernandezTalk/Oral Presentation, Dept. of Chicano Studies, UCSB, Invited, UC Santa Barbara, 2008-2009
• “La Decima on the Internet, in the Classroom, and Beyond” , In Honor of Samuel ArmisteadTalk/Oral Presentation, UC Davis Dept. of Foreign Languages, Invited, UC Davis, 2007-2008

Other Presentations

• “The Hispanic Ballad Tradition: from Medieval Iberia to Modern Day Los Angeles”, Public Lecture, Pasadena, CA, 2007-2008
• “The Situation of Sephardic Jews in Contemporary Cuba”, Conference at UC Irvine, UC Irvine, 2007-2008

• Blog, “Los Angeles Culinary Culture”, Blog for my students, but I also use it to upload photos and describe class activities, share it with outside community, 2012-2013

Office Hours

Monday : 11:30-2

Committees

• Member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Caucus.
  Attended meetings during 2018-19 and helped draft the caucus report based on my work with a Working Group to address student housing and food insecurity on campus, 2019-2020
• Merit Evaluation Committee for the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures, participated in meetings to decide the evaluation for colleagues in the department.,
• Member of the Housing and Food Insecurity Working Group made up of deans, staff and other administrators working on this issue. Provided input and participated in meetings to address the issue.,

Media, Alumni, and Community Relations

• Participating in the Los Angeles Food Policy Council , Street Food working group, working to legalize street food in the city of Los Angeles,
• Article written about my course on USC website in June 2012, http://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/11,
• helping to plan a Visions and Voices event for March 2013, asked to be a featured speaker on the panel,
• Worked with many members of LA community (LA Times journalists, chefs, experts on food policy, etc) to participate in food and culture class, Spring Spri

Other Service to the University

• Organized a panel on Food and Housing Insecurity at USC for Diversity Week, Oct. 2018.,
• Wrote promotion letter for colleague in another department,
• Invited Hybrid High School Students to attend my class, 2018-2019

Committees

• “Member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Caucus.
  Attended meetings during 2018-19 and helped draft the caucus report based on my work with a Working Group to address student housing and food insecurity on campus”, 2019-2020
• “Merit Evaluation Committee for the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures, participated in meetings to decide the evaluation for colleagues in the department.”, 2019-2020
• “Member of the Housing and Food Insecurity Working Group made up of deans, staff and other administrators working on this issue. Provided input and participated in meetings to address the issue.”, 2018-2019

Media, Alumni, and Community Relations

• Lectured at Occidental College on Latinx food culture,
• worked with community gardens as part of Culture of Food class,
• Worked with various journalists, chefs, policy experts, etc. to develop food course,