Paper short abstract:

Drawing upon more than four years of ethnographic research conducted in Seattle, Washington, this paper examines the dramatic changes that immigrants from Latin America have experienced in their dietary practices and the repercussions of these changes on their physical and emotional wellbeing.

Paper long abstract:

Drawing upon more than four years of ethnographic research conducted in Seattle, Washington, this paper examines the dramatic changes that immigrants from Latin America have experienced in their dietary practices and the repercussions of these changes on their physical and emotional wellbeing. For many migrants, their livelihoods as farmers and their participation in place-based food systems strongly shaped their foodways while living in their home countries. Reflecting the priorities of U.S.-based alternative food movements, participants emphasized the importance of consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, eating less meat or choosing meat from animals that were raised and slaughtered locally, purchasing foods free of chemicals and pesticides, and avoiding overly processed and fatty foods. Despite these values and priorities, consuming processed and fast foods became more commonplace while living in the United States as access to healthy foods (including foods available in farmers markets and other local food projects) was limited due to high costs and other economic constraints. The narratives gleaned through this investigation illuminate a collective longing for a return to more natural and place-based set of cultural and material food practices as well as to the need for alternative food movements to become more inclusive and sensitive to the realities of migrant populations and others living in poverty.