The latino desire to yield their skills to American multinationals has always been present in Latin American society, mostly recognized as “The American Dream”. Benson and Fischer’s article put forward an interesting dive into the hidden aspects of un-traditional crops production that as consumer, we often don’t see. Yet, it wasn’t something that surprised me in the least, given that even my own family has pursued this dream at some point in time. This fact leads me to a sort of frustration that I assume second/third generations of immigrant or Indigenous families face. In a paradoxical way, family values upon Latin American families circle around the communal effort to salir adelante or pursue a better life, yet most descendants of these families (which have already embedded themselves into a modern lifestyle) have too fallen into a somewhat ignorant consumption of crops, oblivious to the origin or process by which it arrived to their table.

For instance, in a similar way in which broccoli became a staple food which connotates towards a healthy lifestyle, there has been a recent grow in the marketization and consumption of the Açaí berry, which typically grows in Brazil. It’s not uncommon to go into into a vegan café or restaurant without encountering the famous açaí bowl. Even I have been tempted to try this new trend, and once purchased açaí in a local market. However, I can be certain that even if this product is advertised as “exotic” and “unusual”, there is tons of ignorance surrounding the process by which it is distributed in the market. While i’m sure that the rise of this product, especially given it’s high price, can give Indigenous or rural farmers a means to sustain their families whilst also promoting their national identity and food, I’m still skeptical about labour practices. Ultimately, I believe that this is a phenomenon that brings many benefits to this communities, and if there’s any work to be done, it must be within the distribution sector, ensuring ethical dynamics between workers and intermediaries as well as optimal working conditions.