In the Eating Out, Eating American reading, the author mentions how immigrants to New York use restaurants as a form of assimilation. However, as there are numerous restaurants that cater to the needs of a diverse society through ethnic cuisine, has this changed the attitudes of immigrants with regards to assimilation? Do you think the immigrants of today feel less obligated to assimilate into American culture when they are constantly surrounded by diversity?

The author also mentions how “when we choose to consume food outside the home in a public place, we are saying something about who we are, whether that place is a fancy French restaurant on a tony Manhattan block or a hole-in-the wall eatery in a far-out borough.” Considering how individuals often choose restaurants based on convenience and affordability, their decisions may not truly reflect who they are as people. What are your thoughts on the author’s characterization?