Aaron Bobrow-Strain

This was an interesting little book. It is indeed a social history, as it looks at how white bread has been seen in society, and it also looks at what that mass produced white loaf says about us. How does the white bread illustrate our aspirations, dreams, and hopes as a society? What does it say about class? Where do you belong if you eat it or not? Those are the kinds of questions this book strives to answer.

There are various ways to look at white bread, and those ways reflect where our society has been and where it will go. White bread has been a symbol of wealth, and now (at least in the U.S.), it has become a symbol of poverty, of white trash. How did that happen? This book goes over that. The author looks at the various social dreams that white bread has come to embody. There is the dream of cleanliness and industrial efficiency; the dream of being able to feed more people and, hopefully end poverty (or at least curb it; the dream of military and defense of the nation, where you needed well-fed soldiers and members of society, going along with the importance of nutrition. In other words, you wanted good nutrition because it was the patriotic thing to do, and so on. In looking at each dream or stage, white bread embodies those dreams and symbols.

The author also asks some hard questions. The one that stayed with me, a question I often ponder, is the one of elitism in high end and/or organic foods. Sure, you can get high end fresh baked bread, but only if you have access to a community bakery that draws on high end supplies for its bread baking operation. Poor people in essence are stuck with white bread because that is all they can afford. While there is some critique of this, I am not sure any real solutions are offered other than we need to be aware. Then again, it must be noted the author is one of those people who can afford to buy that high end whole grain bread. Not something to hold against the author, but it has to be considered; it's where he is coming from. The issue of access to good food for all is an important one, and it goes beyond just bread, but illuminating this is the story of white bread.

The book is a fairly easy read. You do get some interesting history of the U.S., history of immigrants, society, so on as well with the bread history. This is a trait of a microhistory, though this one is more social than historical. You get stories of the dynasties that created the great bread making industries. I particularly found interesting the story of Grupo Bimbo, the Mexican baking conglomerate that owns a good amount of brands most people in the U.S. think of as "American." I was aware of it (as a Latino, I am fairly aware of Bimbo), but I am willing to bet many readers may find that interesting as well.

Overall, this is an interesting book. You can read it a bit at a time, and you can learn a few things along the way. I do think it will give you a better appreciation not just of white bread, but of bread and the dynamics of feeding society.

Disclosure note: I won this book from a GoodReads First Reads giveaway.… (más)

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. First, it is very well done; I liked the organization of the book and the chapters which unfolded the story of Aida as well as others that were important to her life. The research and caring that went into this book is obvious.

Aida is an "illegal" having been brought to the US as a child; which truly meant that the mother moved her and her siblings across town - from AugaPrieta Mexico to Douglas Arizona. In the past this town had almost open borders with community members crossing daily for jobs, business, family, etc. With the crackdown of the borders, life becomes much more complicated. Add to that complication is a history of family violence, early sexuality, and low education levels. Aida is seemingly a bright and happy young girl in spite of much of the violence she has witnessed between her parents and between her mother and the mother's boyfriend who is also the father of Aida's two younger stepsisters. From her on, life is one major complication to the next, many of Aida's own choosing. Life is "fun" there is little sense of future responsibility; she is impulsive. A relationship with a boy leads to a child when she is sixteen.

This story is about Aida's struggle to become an American citizen in spite of all the roadblocks, legal maneuvering, family struggles, and poor decisions on her part. Along with Aida's story is the story of Ema, a soccer player from Ecuador who is a lesbian. Ema's story tells of the journey from Ecuador to the United States and her meeting of Aida in one of the detention centers in Arizona. Ema and Aida become a couple eventually move to New York City and are legally married. Chapters on Rosie Mendoza are interspersed. Rosie comes from a similar background as Aida, but has managed to bring herself out of that level of poverty; she is a counselor who has strong influence on Aida.

One of the most interesting and troubling points of this book is the legal system, immigration laws, detention centers run by non-governmental entities, and now many people (businesses) are actually benefiting from the harsh laws and enforcement of them. Really, can I imagine living in a town where one in thirteen people are employed by some arm of the law. This is also the story of Douglas Arizona, a city made by copper mining but after the mines are closed, people remain.

Truly an interesting and thought-provoking book. Interesting quote: "Don't study the poor or powerless because everything you say will be used against them." (p 350). "Even well-meaning scholarship on poor people in American has sometimes helped reinforce the objectifying assumptions through which comfortable people blame struggling people for their own suffering." I have to admit that I'm somewhat guilty after reading Aida's story; at the same time, I realize that I'm not sure I would have done any differently if I had been in those shoes. - Life is complicated!… (más)