Difference between revisions of "Quesadilla"

Revision as of 14:57, 9 June 2015

Note: This page is a work in progress and is not yet done.

Disclaimer: When it comes to understanding the spanophone community anywhere it is important to situate the variety of Spanish which dominates that particular community, especially when there are a minority of Spanish speakers who do not share the same perspective on same words as the group in majority which holds the dominance. In the case of the spanophone community at Northwestern it is crucial to place its context within that of the Chicagoland area. Despite Northwestern being located in Evanston, IL, Chicago’s Latino immigrant population greatly influences the university’s approach to the Spanish speaking community. Chicago’s largest Hispanic/Latino demographic is made up of primarily of Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans. The university is a reflection of this as it displays a Mexican Spanish interpretation for all things regarding the spanophone community. Below is an example of this situation compiled by my personal experiences, coming from a Salvadorian background, as well as from the feedback collected from my consultants, also Northwestern undergraduate students, which come from Mexican and Dominican backgrounds.

Part of Speech

Noun

Pronunciation

Quesadilla [ 'kay səˈdee jə]

Description

1. In Mexican culture, it is a grilled tortilla filled with cheese and vegetables and/or meat that is usually folded in half which can have sour cream, pico de gallo (tomato salsa), and guacamole as side toppings or dipping sauces.
2. Meanwhile, in Salvadorian culture it refers to a sweet, pound-like, dense bread made from eggs, flour, sugar, sour cream, milk, baking powder, salt and Parmesan cheese that can have sesame seeds baked on top.

• 

  The Mexican culture interpretation of quesadillas (top); the Salvadorian culture interpretation (bottom).

Usage

Quesadilla is most commonly used within the Latin American community to refer to the dish in Latin American culture. Anyone can use it is not restricted.

Example Sentences

1. Today I went to go get a quesadilla during Taco Tuesday at Sargent.
2. These quesadillas are kind of like cake, I’ve never had one like this before.

Note: In order to convey the different interpretations of the word the example sentences use code switching between Spanish and English.