Chile Peppers and Identity Construction in Pueblo, Colorado

In this paper I look at how Pueblo, Colorado has incorporated the chile pepper as its official symbol in an attempt to recreate its identity. The chamber of commerce, area farmers, and merchants are working together to create new food consumption patterns based on chiles, linked to seasonal events. Community leaders are also attempting to reestablish Pueblo's historic links to the Southwest in order to capitalize on the Southwestern heritage tourism industry. I analyze Pueblo's use of symbols and the built environment in constructing identity. Symbols and the built environment are important media through which elite ideologies are transmitted.