This talk traces the history and politics of banana imports to the U.S., the largest consumer of that fruit in the world. We will discuss the various elements involved in the movement of bananas from producing areas to soda fountains and cereal bowls in the U.S. The discussion will take into account several issues, including foreign policy (e.g., so-called dollar diplomacy), multinational corporations, land distribution, technology and advertising, among other aspects of banana consumption in the U.S. The concept of commodity chains will be a central theme of the talk.

Alex Saragoza is Associate Professor of History in the Department of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley.

http://clas.berkeley.edu