Black Food Trucks Matter: A Qualitative Study Examining The (Mis)Representation, Underestimation, and Contribution of Black Entrepreneurs In The Food Truck Industry
Creators: name: Smith, Ariel D
Publisher: name: Purdue University Graduate School
Year: 2023
Subjects: classificationCode: 350704
subject: Entrepreneurship
classificationCode: 470205
subject: Cultural studies of agriculture, food and wine
classificationCode: 470208
subject: Culture, representation and identity
classificationCode: 470214
subject: Screen and media culture
classificationCode: 470203
subject: Consumption and everyday life
classificationCode: 470204
subject: Cultural and creative industries
classificationCode: 470206
subject: Cultural studies of nation and region
classificationCode: 360501
subject: Cinema studies
classificationCode: 360505
subject: Screen media
classificationCode: 350304
subject: Business systems in context
classificationCode: 350401
subject: Food and hospitality services
classificationCode: 350501
subject: Business and labour history
classificationCode: 350507
subject: Workplace wellbeing and quality of working life
classificationCode: 350716
subject: Small business organisation and management
classificationCode: 430399
subject: Historical studies not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 430205
subject: Heritage and cultural conservation
classificationCode: 430206
subject: Heritage collections and interpretations
classificationCode: 430204
subject: Digital heritage
classificationCode: 470107
subject: Media studies
classificationCode: 470299
subject: Cultural studies not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 441012
subject: Sociology of inequalities
classificationCode: 441016
subject: Urban sociology and community studies
classificationCode: 440408
subject: Urban community development
classificationCode: 440107
subject: Social and cultural anthropology

description: Food trucks have become increasingly popular over the last decade following the Great Recession of 2008. Scholars have begun to study the food truck phenomenon, its future projected trajectory, and even positioning it within social justice discourse along cultural lines; however, scholarship has yet to address the participation of Black entrepreneurs in the food truck industry. <br> The objective of this dissertation is to expand the perception of Black food entrepreneurs within the food truck industry by interrogating how Black food truck owners are misrepresented, under analyzed, and underestimated. Using a series of interdisciplinary qualitative methods including introspective analysis, thematic coding analysis, and case studies, I approach this objective by addressing three questions. First, I analyze movies and television to understand where Black-owned food trucks are represented in popular culture and how they are depicted. In doing so, we come to understand that Black business representation, specifically Black food truck representation consistently falls victim to negative stereotypes. These stereotypes can influence the extent to which Black food truck owners are taken seriously and seen as legitimate business leaders in their community. Second, I interview 16 Black food truck entrepreneurs to understand why the mobile food industry appealed to them and how it has become a platform for them to explore other opportunities. Finally, I review eight cities that have launched Black food truck festivals and parks within the last 6 years to gain an understanding of the collective power wielded by Black food truck owners and its impact Black communities. Moreover, this dissertation challenges the myth that collectivism does not exist among Black entrepreneurs and the Black community broadly.