High Desert Dollar

I first began thinking about the economics of food deserts in New Mexico based upon the rise of dollar stores in rural areas. The buildings went up rapidly like cheap warehouses, the same as you might see in an urban area. They are formulaic and if you’re driving through any small town between Santa Fe and Taos, you’ll probably see one if not many. They stand out like sore thumbs, bastions of corporate America that are forging new cultures of dependency in places where people of color, Indigenous and Chicano, already lack access to more affordable food options, especially with the decline of agrarian food ways. This project will comprise a series of essays, mapping exercises, photos, and interviews.