El Barbecue as an Act of World-Making: Playfulness, Joy, and the Concept of Al Aire Libre in Outdoor Recreation

Drawing on María Lugones’s and Kristie Soares’s theories of playfulness and world-making, this essay argues that “el Barbecue” constitutes a culturally distinct form of outdoor recreation that challenges dominant, sport-centric conceptions of outdoor engagement. Through the concept of “al aire libre,” el Barbecue fosters ease, mutual recognition, and collective joy, enabling the creation of alternative social worlds within Latinx communities. By centering everyday cultural practices such as public grilling, this essay demonstrates how el Barbecue resists racialized spatial norms and reshapes societal understandings of outdoor recreation by promoting inclusivity beyond conventional environmental frameworks.