Fruteros: Street Vending, Illegality, and Ethnic Community in Los Angeles

This book examines the social worlds of young Latino street vendors as they navigate the complexities of local and federal laws prohibiting both their presence and their work on street corners. Known as fruteros, they sell fruit salads out of pushcarts throughout Los Angeles and are part of the urban landscape.

Drawing on six years of fieldwork, Rocío Rosales offers a compelling portrait of their day—to—day struggles. In the process, she examines how their paisano (hometown compatriot) soci...