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We had a house that had a big patio, and we grew yucca, we had fruit, cherimoya, we had plums, guavas, orange, coconut, avocados, yes, it was a big patio with a lot of fruit. A lot of squash as well. But here, I haven't been able to. (Laura, age 51, from Cuba)
I think that, look, with all respect, I think that food in the US is very healthy, but I think that food in Mexico is fresher and more natural, and so it could be a little healthier in Mexico because of this. Because you can get things more in season, and you can eat more of them. (Julio, age 49, from Mexico)
Eating across Borders: An Exploration of Latino/a Foodways
Migration is inherently a process of dislocation. In the midst of dislocation, sustaining and re-creating the cultural and material practices connected to food are powerful ways to enact one's cultural identity and sustain connections with families and communities who remain on the other side of the border. Food is central to the longing for home and the often painful struggle to accommodate to new ways of being in the world; and preparing, eating and sharing meals that are resonant with one's foodways - the eating habits or food practices of a community, region or time period - is a vital piece of maintaining a sense of self in a new environment. Nevertheless, the disruptive process of migration necessarily entails profound changes in diet, social relationships and cultural identities, changes that are only exacerbated by inequalities related to race/ethnicity, class, gender and citizenship. Considering these inequalities and the needs and unique contributions of immigrant communities is vital to envisioning a more just and sustainable food system.
There is a rich tradition in the humanities and social sciences of exploring the connections between food and cultural identity, especially for racial and ethnic minorities living in the United States. Scholars including Abarca (2006), Counihan (2009), Marte (2007), Gaytán (2011), Peña (2005), Esteva (1994), Komarnisky (2009), Gabaccia (1998) and Salazar (2007) offer important insights into Latino/a foodways (both immigrant and US-born) as they negotiate transnational cultural influences and expectations, gendered constraints and opportunities, and changing political-economic conditions. Meanwhile, in the popular press there has been an...