Elsa Chan with her grandchildren. Photographer: Jessica Magaña -Sandoval
Hi-Desert Nature Museum is pleased to present Abuelita’s Kitchen: Mexican Food Stories, a
temporary exhibit exploring the impact of Mexican and Mexican-American women to
the culture of Southern California through the traditional dishes they pass on to their
families and communities. The exhibit features 10 indigenous, mestiza, Mexican-
American, and Afro-Mexican grandmothers who have cooked, preserved, and
passed on Mexican food culture while creating communities and cultures that are
unique to Southern California.
Through a documentary film, audio stories, photographs, kitchen artifacts, and family recipes, this exhibit reveals each abuela’s unique relationship to Mexican cuisine, their birthplaces in Mexico, and their current homes in California.
Exhibition Support
Abuelita’s Kitchen: Mexican Food Stories was developed by USC professor Sarah
Portnoy with support from California Humanities and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. The
exhibition tours through Exhibit Envoy, a nonprofit.
