ImmigrationProf Blog

Immigrant of the Day: Cris Comerford (Philippines), White House Executive Chef (retired)

 

Our Immigrant of the Day is the recently retired White House’s executive chef.  She spent nearly three decades as the chef for five presidents and their families.

"Cris Comerford is the first woman to hold the job, and is also the first person of color to be executive chef. Her last day was Friday. First lady Jill Biden thanked her for her service in a statement on Tuesday. . . . 

A naturalized U.S. citizen and a native of the Philippines, [Comerford] was named executive chef in 2005."

I hope that Comerford's kitchen was less intense than that seen in the popular show The Bear.

 

KJ

How fine dining in Europe and the US came to exclude immigrant cuisine and how social media is pushing back – podcast

 

In this episode of The Conversation Weekly, three experts who study food culture and fine dining talk about the perceptions and definitions of “good food.” They explore how food trends are deeply tied to immigration, how the history of Western culinary techniques limits the creativity and authenticity of modern restaurants and how social media compares with the Michelin Guide as a tool in the quest for good food:

"The history of restaurants, food and, especially, fine dining, is deeply tied to the history of immigration to the U.S. and French cultural power in the early 20th century. Not surprisingly, the story that leads to Yelp and Anthony Bourdain is not without its share of racism that the modern food world and its tastemakers are still grappling with today."

KJ

Immigrants have helped change how America eats. Now they dominate top culinary awards

 

Immigrants are changing what Americans eat through their culinary influence in cities large and small, reports Joel Rose of NPR. The culinary awards for restaurants granted by James Beard Foundation offer proof: For today’s ceremony, "more than half of the 75 finalists  vying for the chef and baker awards are immigrants or children of immigrants from all over the globe."

KJ 

Spring 2023 Conference: Emerging Issues in Immigration Law

The Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program is honoring Clinical Professor Emerita Deborah Anker, program Co-Founder, at its Emerging Issues in Immigration Law conference on March 30-31.
 
The conference will commence with a celebration to honor Professor Anker on Thursday, March 30. A panel discussion with Professor Anker and her Co-Founders, Nancy Kelly and John Willshire Carrera, will be held from 4:00-5:00 PM in 2036 Milstein East on the Harvard Law School campus, where they will discuss the clinic's significant and rich history. Following the panel, attendees will be invited to raise a toast to Professor Anker and celebrate her accomplishments with champagne and passed appetizers.
 
On Friday, the conference will feature three panels, with distinguished advocates and experts addressing critical issues such as Anti-Blackness at the Border and Fight for Justice for Haitian Immigrants; Campaigns and Movements to End Immigrant Detention and Abuse; and Climate Change, Migration, and Envisioning New Futures for Immigrant Justice.

KJ

Did You Celebrate National Taco Day?

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

It truly was news to me but my local newspaper yesterday informed me that it was National Taco Day.  Not sure where it came from, or why it exists, but I had a nice taco Tuesday with friends at my favorite local taqueria.

KJ

Chinese Laundry Exhibit at Yosemite National Park

We spent our first summer vacation at Yosemite National Park. It was my third visit to the park and much is the same. The scenery in Yosemite Valley remains spectacular: granite rock faces, rushing water falls, popping wildflowers. The unexpected treasure was Mariposa Grove and nearby Wawona, at the south entrance to the park: majestic giant sequoias, scarred from wildfire and yet with leaves reaching for the sky and glistening with afternoon sunlight. Ranger Connie Lau, who was until recently a high school teacher, took us on a walk that prompted us to observe and connect with the natural world. She asked us about our roots before describing the expansive root system that holds steady these giants, the protective devices that keep us healthy such as nutrition and hydration, and what makes us stand tall.  Her last question to the group was about legacy, taking note that the oldest of the sequoias had been dated 3,000 years and that the grove had lived through generations of parkgoers and national affairs. She recommended we consider those who built the paths we walked on... and provided the services that made possible our visits through the decades. That led her to recommend the Chinese laundry exhibit, adjacent to the Wawona Hotel, a few short miles from the Mariposa Grove. 

Drawing on research from Park Ranger Yenyen Chan (who had interned at NPS while a Yale undergraduate), this in-depth feature from the Sierra Club explains that the exhibit opened in October 2021 to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the park and the workers who contributed to and sustained it. The Gold Rush fueled interest in the Sierras and Yosemite Valley. In order to accommodate the visitors, Yosemite built two stagecoach roads and employed Chinese immigrant workers who had grown disillusioned with gold prospecting after the imposition of taxes on foreign miners. In the 1870s, 300 immigrants worked to build roads by carving and blasting a path to the Wawona hotel. In 1882, 250 Chinese workers worked alongside other laborers to build a 56-mile road from Crocker’s Station to Tioga Pass, at 9,945 feet. The Chinese were paid $1.20 per day, while the European American workers made $1.50 per day.

Rangers discovered the humble brown structure and cast aside relics of the Chinese laundry workers who cleaned and pressed clothing and hotel linens for the Wawona Hotel before the structure fell into disuse. This is the site of the new exhibit. Displays showcase historic photographs, artwork, and artifacts found in the park over a century ago. There is a 1915 photo of the beloved backcountry cook Tie Sing with Stephen T. Mather and the Mather Mountain Party as well. There are some interactive activities for visitors, asking them about their experiences with migration or to explain the hardest job they've ever done on a slip of cloth to be hung on a clothes line. The most moving to me was an activity inspired by the tradition of Chinese laundries in America, which would enclose a small piece of paper with Chinese calligraphy into finished pieces of laundry. Visitors are asked to write a note of encouragement to the Chinese laundry workers. The visitors before us wrote notes of thank you for their contributions and their sacrifices. My family, born of Chinese immigrants to the US post-1965, added to their thanks and included an apology for the Chinese Exclusion Act and discrimination that would follow notwithstanding their contributions. We also included assurances that their legacy would be remembered through exhibits such as this one and the small but growing contingent of Chinese American rangers committed to telling their stories.

MHC

Alvin Salehi and his meal-delivery platform, Shef: Serving Immigrants and Refugees

For Cool Hunting, Kelly Pau profiles co-founder Alvin Salehi about his meal-delivery platform, Shef, a "service that empowers immigrants and refugees to become food entrepreneurs." What makes Shef unique? It "uses local, home cooks that are trained and safety certified. Their names and cultures are listed on the site, which is home to over 100 different countries’ cuisines from Nepalese to Haitian, Gujarati and Thai … For cooks, Shef provides a platform where they can share their culture, generate income and work from home at their own schedule." 

Amid Afghan resettlement efforts, Shef also spearheaded an expedited review process for Afghan chefs wanting to join the platform. To date, Shef continues to donate 100 meals per week to resettlement organizations assisting Afghan refugees.  

KJ

"Food has forever unified people": How Immigrant Food brings "gastroadvocacy" to the table

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

As Thanksgiving brings families and cultures together, food is on our minds.  Food has an incredible power to bring communities together. For Salon Food, Kayla Stewart features Washington, D.C.’s one-of-a-kind Immigrant Food restaurant, showcasing its ability to counter misinformation about immigrants while serving delicious meals. "Food has forever unified people," explained Chief Operating Officer Téa Ivanovic. "For someone unfamiliar with the issues facing immigrants in America, it’s daunting to jump into the complex topic of immigration without a baseline understanding of what immigrants contribute ... But it’s a lot less tough to sit down with a group of friends and learn about how your favorite dishes or flavors have come from immigrant cultures across the globe." 

Stewart writes that "Immigrant Food sought to counter pervasive stereotypes and misinformation about immigrants in the U.S. — and it opted to serve really great food while doing so."

I will need to check out Immigrant Food on my next trip to D.C.

KJ

Changing Demographics in Long Island City

Long Island City in Queens is a burgeoning site for Asian food, cutlure, and politics in what is becoming a mecca for a new migrant community. According to the NY Times, there has been a fivefold increase in Asian residents in Long Island City since 2010 so that the Asian population of 11,000 is now one-third of the total city population. There are at least 15 Asian-owned businesses — including a Mandarin child care center and hair salon and several restaurants — that have opened in the neighborhood since March 2020.

Residents, many of whom are Chinese and Korean students (Japanese is the third largest ethnic group), are attracted by the close proximity to Manhattan and comparatively lower rents for luxury apartments.  They are changing the profile of the community from its Italian immigrant and artist roots.

MHC

From the Bookshelves: Taste of Belonging by Welcoming America

Welcome America is presenting a cook book,  Taste of Belonging: A Collection of Recipes and Ways to Strengthen Community Across Differences, to promote cultural understanding. Created as a toolkit and resource guide, the cookbook is intended for individuals and organizations seeking fresh inspiration and tips for building connections and decreasing prejudice in communities.

The introduction to the cookbook quotes chef Jose Andres:

From biryani to bulgogi and tortillas to tikkis, food has the power to evoke memories, bring people together, and transport you to other places. 

Learn more and read the downloadable cookbook here.

To learn even more about using food as a tool for understanding, register for the session on "Fostering a Sense of Belonging in Your Community" at the Welcoming Interactive on May 5.

MHC

Arab Americans Advocate for Little Arabia in California

The Arab American Civic Council in southern California is now reviving its efforts to promote an area within Anaheim, California as Little Arabia. The goal is help local businesses who have struggled during the pandemic. Arab American advocates, business owners, and many community members see the designation as a way to acknowledge the community's economic and cultural contributions to the city. A social media campaign  promoting "Designate Little Arabia"  is part of the effort.

According to the Journal of Urban History. The district took root when entrepreneurs capitalized on low real-estate costs in the West Anaheim area and leased space to Arab immigrants for homes or businesses. Over time, the area transformed from an economically stagnant part of town to a vibrant food destination of Arabic restaurants, bakeries, halal markets, hookah lounges, and community organizations.

More on this story here. For a more general discussion of how ethnic food enclaves contribute to communities, see here.

 

MHC

Best food in the US and other immigrant contributions recognized by Vilcek Foundation

 

"The best food in the US is from somewhere else," says CNN in its write up of a cook book about dishes popularized by immigrant chef. "A Place at the Table: New American Recipes from the Nation's Top Foreign-Born Chefs," celebrates immigrant chefs in cities across the nation and documents the two-way evolution of cuisine as local ingredients are incorporated and as the dishes find their place in the American appetite. The author GABRIELLE LANGHOLTZ is the Director of Culinary Projects at the Vilcek Foundation which aims to raise awareness of immigrant contributions in America.

 

A former Vilcek winner Marcus Samuelsson, owner of Harlem's Red Rooster and a staunch advocate for immigrant opportunity in food, won the $100,000 cash award in 2019. He said to CNN, "Unless you're Native American, you're an immigrant. Our journeys are different, but we share big dreams. The key is to remember that. Eating each other's foods, listening to each other's music, hearing each other's stories, act as a constant reminder." His website features recipes, restaurants, and ways to support the hospitality industry during the economic turmoil unleashed by the global pandemic.

 

The Foundation's Creative Promise Awards, which come with a $50,000 purse, in 2019 were awarded to the New York Times California food critic Tejal Rao and chefs Fabián von Hauske Valtierra and Cambodian restauranteur  and refugee Nite Yun.

 

The Vilcek Foundation aims to raise awareness and appreciation of immigrant contributions in America in the arts and sciences. The premise of the Vilcek Foundation is that "The arts and sciences need diversity to thrive. Diversity sparks dialogue. Diversity propels innovation. Diversity refines ideas. Immigrants from around the world bring the diverse perspectives that are crucial to strengthening America’s cultural and scientific community." Their prizes reward immigrant artists and scientists achievement and creative promise at early and later stages of their careers. Their grants support the programs and initiatives of other organizations that complement their mission. Their art collection connects the foundation with cultural institutions around the world, facilitating academic and artistic dialogue.

 

A 2021 award for public service was awarded to Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur and former presidential candidate. Other 2021 awardees contribute to biomedical science and film.

 

MHC

Now Streaming: Taste The Nation

Attention Hulu subscribers: Have you checked out Padma Lakshmi's show Taste the Nation? The Top Chef host and cookbook author travels the U.S. exploring foods from indigenous and immigrant communities. It looks delicious! 

-KitJ

Fugetsu-Do: An LA Immigration Story

Fugetsu-Do, a confectionery shop in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Little Tokyo, is known for its mochi -- a Japanese rice cake treat. The store has been owned and operated by one family -- the Kito family -- since 1903.

As the BBC notes, the business was started by Seiichi Kito, a Tokyo-trained mochi maker, in 1903. His son Roy joined the business in 1935, but their work was cut short during WW2 when the shop was closed and the Kitos were interned at Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming. After the war, father and son returned to Little Tokyo to restart their business. While they'd stored their equipment during internment, they couldn't pay the demanded back rent to get their equipment out of storage. With the help of an investor, the business eventually reopened in 1946. Roy's son, Brian, took over the business in 1980 and continues to run it today though he hopes his son Korey may take over the business. It's a National Historic Landmark!

You can watch their mochi-making magic here:

The next time you're in LA, you'll know where to stop in for a tasty treat!

-KitJ

Su go ha se yo

Novelist Min Jin Lee (Pachinko 2017) shares a moving personal anecdote about venturing into a Korean restaurant in Manhattan for jajangmyeon during the pandemic. These black bean sauce noodles, which originate in Northern China, happen to be one of this blogger's favorite comfort food dishes. They are the kind of food that I miss, and the she misses, while forgoing restaurants under shelter. Lee describes her transaction from behind a plastic counter mask, masked and gloved, and her heartfelt attempt to convey her appreciation for the woman's labor in this way:

"The Korean woman in the apron handed me the paper bag and stepped back.

We bowed to each other, the way we might have at a Korean church.

“Su go ha se yo,” I said, which translates to “Keep up your hard work,” but that isn’t it exactly. The phrase is a kindness, meaning, I recognize you’re making an effort, and I encourage you to bear up, and it also means, I admire your labor.

My city is five boroughs, and each borough has many neighborhoods, and each neighborhood is made up of numerous blocks, and on each block, there are businesses, and in each one, there is a counter, and that’s where you and I meet.

I hope when we can take off our masks, I get to tell you how much I need you."

MHC

Immigrant of the Day: Antoni Porowski

Antoni Porowski is a Quebecois chef and television personality who you may recognize from the Netflix hit reboot of Queer Eye. His parents migrated to Canada from Poland (along with Antoni's sisters) before he was born. And Antoni has moved between Canada and the U.S. throughout his life.

Antoni had a super relatable immigrant moment during Season 1 of Queer Eye, Episode 3 ("Dega Don't"). The Fab Five got pulled over by a police officer while driving around Georgia. They're all clearly stressed when the officer asks the driver (not Antoni) for his license, which the driver was unable to produce. (Interjection: Really? You're driving a car! Even if it's for TV. Whatever.) Anyhoo, when it all turns out to be a gimmick -- the police officer was the nominator of the week, Antoni exclaims in relief: "I thought I was going back to Canada!"

And if you're looking for a feel-good quarantine show, I highly recommend Queer Eye. It's refreshing to watch a show that leaves you feeling your faith in humanity restored. It's a nice antidote to my over-consumption of news.

(And, yes, Tan fans... DO expect another QE immigrant of the day nod in the future!)

-KitJ

World Loses Anthony Bourdain, Champion of Diversity and Inclusion -- and Immigrants

The shocking loss to suicide of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain has dominated the news in recent days.  Bourdain had quite a following.  As CNN reports, "[o]n his award-winning series, "Parts Unknown," Bourdain brought the world home to CNN viewers. Through the simple act of sharing meals, he showcased both the extraordinary diversity of cultures and cuisines, yet how much we all have in common."

In one of the many eulogies to Bourdain's life, Gustavo Arellano for the Los Angeles Times writes that "Anthony Bourdain was the eternal compadre of overlooked Latinos."  He elaborates:

"Bourdain understood his privilege and used it as a cudgel to force Americans to think about our role in the world. He was particularly unsparing to our hypocrisies on Latino immigration. He spoke throughout his career about how Latinos (since he was a New Yorker, specifically Ecuadoreans, Salvadorans and Mexicans from the state of Puebla) were his eternal compadres, because of their work ethic and hilarity and giving ways. Anyone who opposed more of them coming into the United States, he said, was simply deranged."

Bourdain publicly criticized Donald Trump's immigration policies:

 

KJ

 

The Migrant Kitchen

 

The Migrant Kitchen

"The Migrant Kitchen" is an Emmy®-winning food series that explores Los Angeles’ booming food scene through the eyes of a new generation of chefs whose cuisine is inspired by the immigrant experience. Visit the kitchens of those who have transformed the culinary landscape of the city, combining traditional ethnic cuisines and a fusion of new flavors and techniques to make Los Angeles one of the food capitals of the world."The Migrant Kitchen" is produced in association with Life & Thyme.

The website has stories like this one, Vietnamese Immigration and Its Culinary Influence on the United States.

KJ

 

The Battle of Brexit? Migrant labor shortage leaves fruit rotting on UK farms

 

BREXIT Campaign Poster

Scheherazade Daneshkhu for the Financial Times reports that fruit and vegetables are being left to rot on British farms because of a shortage of labour, according to the National Farmers’ Union, which is calling on the government to implement a seasonal agricultural workers scheme to fix the problem.  Ali Capper, whose fruit farm on the border between Herefordshire and Worcestershire sells Gala apples to supermarkets, said the business had 20 per cent fewer workers than usual in September. 

The UK farming industry is heavily dependent on pickers from the EU — notably eastern Europe — for seasonal work. Low unemployment rates and the seasonal nature of farm work makes it difficult to attract domestic pickers, the sector argues.  At the same time, the UK has also become less attractive to seasonal workers mostly from Romania and Bulgaria because of the fall in the value of sterling against the euro since Britain voted last year in a referendum to leave the EU.

KJ

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Cambodian Refugees and the Resurgence of the Donut Business in Southern California

Susan Lim's doughnuts served in pink boxes at her Rose Donuts & Cafe in San Clemente. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles Times reports on this "sweet" story about everyone's favorite breakfast food:  "Instead of national chains, the Southern California doughnut sector is dominated by mom-and-pop businesses run by immigrants, none more influential than Cambodian Americans."

Landing here as refugees in the mid-1970s to escape the Khmer Rouge, the Southeast Asian community quickly found a lifeline in the doughnut business.

An ambitious Cambodian refugee named Ted Ngoy built a network of doughnut shops and staffed them with his countrymen whose visas he sponsored. Ngoy started in Orange County, in La Habra and expanded to Fullerton, Anaheim and Buena Park. Cambodian doughnut stores spread to Los Angeles County, which long been dominated by the Winchell’s Donuts chain.

Years ago, Bill Hing told me about the presence of Cambodians in the donut business.

KJ

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