Mexico in South Phoenix :: Arizona Mexican Culture Essays Papers

Mexico in South Phoenix â€Å"It’s like going to Mexico without ever leaving Phoenix.† This was a quote by Mr. Virgil, the Manager of the Ranch Market. A tour of the Ranch Market showed his statement to be true, hence the title of this paper. The following will discuss the Ranch Market and Mexico in South Phoenix. To begin, the tour was absolutely intriguing. The class was introduced to Mr. Virgil. Then we proceeded to get a really in-depth insight into what was up with the Ranch Market. While the Ranch Market is really just another store to purchase canned food, fruit, personal hygiene products, and even a meat department, the real attraction is the food service department. The class and I learned about the revenue intake of the entire Ranch Market; and as things go, the food service department accounted for over 40% of the income. I thought the food was awesome, as did the several hundred patrons. The food service department consists of several components. The most prosperous of the components is the Mexican food deli, followed only shortly by the bakery. The Mexican food that is prepared right in front of you consists of tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, nachos, and about any other type of Mexican food one could think of. The bakery is awesome. The prices are very appealing to the frugal, but the availability of all types of bread (donuts, to loafs, to cakes and pies) is appealing to basically everyone. However, the whole Ranch Market seemed to be focused on appealing to the Mexican culture. This type of environment reminded me of a reading that was assigned; it was titled American Apartheid, Segregation and the Making of the Underclass. This reading addressed the segregated society. A few sentences really interested me, such as â€Å"†¦extreme racial segregation did not just happen; it was manufactured by whites through a series of self-conscious actions and purposeful institutional arrangements that continue today.† This reminded me of how South Phoenix has been shunned by the Valley of the Sun and a haven for illegal immigrants who do not speak English. Another reference from American Apartheid is â€Å"Although poor black neighborhoods still contain many people who lead conventional, productive lives, their example has been overshadowed in recent years by a growing concentration of poor, welfare-dependent families that is an inevitable result of residential segregation.