The Immigrant-Food Nexus: Borders, Labor, and Identity in North America

Abstract

Throughout western history, immigrants of all backgrounds have been largely perceived as threats to American society; “stealing” American jobs and disrupting the flow of democracy. The United States, especially after recent legislation, has primarily targeted immigrants coming from the southern border. The Immigrant-Food Nexus: Borders, Labor, and Identity in North America examines the various key roles of identity, transnationality, labor, locality, and borders on immigrants to the United States and Canada. The book leverages interview-based fieldwork to tell the story of how cultural foods travel and change upon arrival to these nations, and how communal kitchens can stimulate culinary dialogue and support the livelihoods of diverse peoples in their new community.The book intertwines multiple stories surrounding the theme that culturally authentic food can be found across the globe, demonstrating the survival and resiliency of such immigrant communities in a new world. The authors go into depth on how enterprises such as ethnic markets in urban neighborhoods increase food sovereignty and stimulate employment opportunities for immigrants (pp. 59–80). This is imperative for immigrants on both economic and social levels. Such markets create a sense of place, a “home away from home.” As further discussed, the idea of “locality” (p. 100) demonstrates that the term local can take on multiple definitions, ranging from sheer geographic accessibility to goods prepared in one's own home. One Angolan woman living in Anchorage, Alaska, states that local food in Angola is “food from home . . . ” while local food in Anchorage is “food from here” (p. 99). Thus, the definition of “locality” can be skewed on a variety of levels to fit individual definitions, perceptions, and socio-cultural identities.The authors further examine the livelihoods of immigrants from Central and South America. They write that these immigrants play a key role in comprising the increasingly diverse and globalized South; telling the story of how they are not isolated but instead partake in “‘transnational’ identities” (p. 249). In having these transnational identities, these immigrants continue to have “translocal” (p. 109) ways of life as well. Thus allowing them to maintain connections to their previous home while establishing relations to their new community, one in which food plays a quintessential role. The book calls into question the authenticity of place and discusses that just as recipes are ever-evolving with new ingredients or lack thereof, so too are the people. As one moves from their home place of birth, they give up so much of their previous livelihoods to become strangers in a new community, context, and way of life. This transition may appear intimidating as it presents a series of complex emotions and behaviors. However, its power and societal momentum must not be underestimated.The compiled chapters illustrate that the concept of borders seeks to disempower society, creating a harmful and striking “us vs. them” illusion in several political, social, and economic environments. In the final chapter, however, the authors seek to blur the lines of these artificial borders in an attempt to invoke the power of sustainability in cooking. The authenticity of food becomes inscribed in politics as people decide who is authorized to claim certain foods, how they can do so, and under what conditions this may become feasible. This process claims a certain elite status of knowledge as well, as it requires that the consumer know the cultural background and have the palate to acknowledge and affirm such authenticity. The question of authenticity is one that has been discussed across several sectors of society and cannot be solved with a mere, simple answer.Whether one reads this volume as a whole or separately, these chapters offer an intimate ethnographic lens into the foodways of immigrants to the United States and Canada. Integrating both political and economic viewpoints, the authors provide a comprehensible, cohesive, and socio-cultural perspective on the nexus of immigrant foodways, a concept highly prevalent in our tense climate today. However, this volume may appear to be overly idealistic and simplified when compared to the larger scope of immigration in the world today. The ideologies of the patriarchy, including sexism, xenophobia, gentrification, and so on, are deeply engrained within American history. Rather than providing a seat at the table to immigrants, one should consider constructing an entirely new table, where those who have been marginalized by society are able to actively move away from current Eurocentric methods of food aid and into modes of intersectional and sustainable pathways of knowledge. Although alternative food networks provide a space for immigrants to lead, a more in-depth knowledge of networks is vital toward understanding and incorporating immigrants, progressing towards the goal of increased food sovereignty and unity in the nation.