Project Space Fieldwork

Whole Foods Market

            The place I decided to do my fieldwork was at Whole Foods Market. This weekend I decided to go to Whole Foods with my sister who shops there, which is located in Porter Ranch a 10 minute drive from our apartment in Northridge. When driving up to the location, I noticed that the neighborhood was very wealthy with many gated communities in the perimeter of the store and a country club right across the street from Whole Foods. You even notice that in the parking lot there are very expensive cars so you know that it is a owning class neighborhood. When you walk into the store, you see tables where you can sit at and enjoy your food from the buffet inside or even to take a rest from all the shopping. When you look around into the store you see that it is very organized and it smells like fresh fruit. The décor in there is very peaceful and has bright colors everywhere welcoming customers. When you walk around in Whole Foods there are many samples that giving so the customer can enjoy the free food and maybe purchase the item. The store does not just sell groceries they sell organic vitamins to diapers and necessities one may need when going to the grocery. From fine Blue Cheese to expensive wine. They also have a pizza parlor where you can get fresh baked pizza and a buffet where one may choose what they want to eat and pay for it at the checkout. When I was walking out I also noticed a board of an African American women in Africa and there was many items that one would be able to purchases and the proceeded would go to the children in Africa to better them in education and give them money for better food.

            The people that I saw that were shopping was majority Caucasian and a couple of colored people who worked there. I feel like the people who shop there is not just, because they need food I believe it is because this market provides organic, vegan, and healthy choices to the customer. It may not be cheap but it is one of the healthiest places to shop at because mostly everything is organic. This corporation was started in 1980 by two white males and now has expended to a large corporation all over the United States. You can tell when you enter the store that many people are very comfortable with the place shopping at ease and knowing where everything is. When I first went there, I was amazed because it was very different from where I usually shop in Los Angeles. The difference is that Whole Foods was not as crowded, it was very organized, it had a buffet, it was mostly organic, there were samples, and the prices were much more expensive.

            Personally, I chose Whole Foods because I wanted to choose a place where I felt uncomfortable and this was a perfect place to choose because I do not shop there. The reason why I felt uncomfortable was that I feel like I do not belong due to my subculture. I grew up in Boyle Heights where the majority is Mexican-American and everyone there is working class. The super markets where I live are more Mexican based like Superior, Vallarta, and El Super and I sometimes shop at Food 4 Less because it is not that expensive. Whole Foods is open for the public but I feel like it is mostly based for the community that lives close, which are richer people. The store is placed in richer communities where people can afford organic, vegan, and gluten free food then opposed to a single working mother who has low income and cannot afford to be healthy.