A review on U Roberto Romano’s eye-opening documentary, The Harvest/La Cosecha.
Rate: 4.0/5

“They don’t know what they eat, what they have in the table, its picked up from migrants. I bet you they don’t even know.” – Perla
Have you ever taken the time to think about where the food that you eat comes from? My guess is probably not, and if you were asked to guess, you never would have said from the hands of a child. U Roberto Romano makes it hard to turn the other cheek on the issue of child labor in agriculture with his documentary The Harvest/La Cosecha. Following three children and their lives as migrant field workers, this documentary takes viewers into a world of struggle that many, particularly those of us from the city, would not even think still exists. Romano makes it evident that child labor in agriculture should not be legal in our country, as we learn that kids as young as seven years old are put to work in the dangerous conditions of a field full of toxins. US Senator, Tom Harkin states, “A child ten years old cannot work at McDonald’s. A child cannot work in hazardous occupations. But in agriculture they can work it ten hours a day seven days a week. They have no proctiection. And that is legal in America today.” How is it that we allow something like this? The Harvest/La Cosecha alsoshows viewers how farmworker families live, most if not all of them well below the poverty level. The documentary shows these kids wanting to help their struggling families. The children voluntarily leave school at an early age to go to fields all over the country in order to receive wages for their families.

Romano’s use of personal accounts from three very hardworking children coupled with the statistics that permeate the documentary prove to be very effective in drawing attention to the issues of poverty among farmworkers and child labor in agriculture. With the subtitle, “The Story of the Children Who Feed America”, this documentary successfully forces viewers to appreciate not only their lives, but also where they get their fruits and vegetables as we see kids working hard and hot days to pick what we consume. Romano combines emotional, often times heartbreaking, stories with statistical evidence, like the fact that over 400,000 American children are migrant farm workers, to draw viewers into a tale, making it difficult not to want to take action to help farmworker families. The images of successful individuals that were once farmworkers at a young age featured at the end of the film are an attempt to create an effective full circle effect, proving that these migrant families contribute as much to this nation as any other American. However, those same images also seemed to serve as something similar to the “model minority myth”, sending the message that if those individuals could become successful, why can’t others? I also think that this documentary could have been even more moving if it included other cultures. I know there are other migrants that are not from Spanish speaking countries and having their stories would have been more inclusive.

U Roberto Romano successfully addresses several themes discussed in our class, including identity, social change, and immigration/migration. Seeing the way in which many migrant farmworkers live allows viewers to get a better understanding of their lifestyle and thus their identity as migrants. The young man’s family had also immigrated from Mexico and faced many issues with the immigration papers, making it difficult for his family to stay together. This documentary gives viewers an insight on the struggles of immigrants, particularly Latinos, upon arriving in the United States and trying to make a living for themselves and their families. Hearing the perspective of children gives us get an understanding of how the entire family is affected. The Harvest/La Cosecha is also a call for help, to change the child labor laws in agriculture and protect those children in a way that will also help their families that are struggling with poverty. Anybody can really learn and be impacted by the documentary as it is very moving, but I know that anybody that wants to help families in need could really benefit from this documentary. It provides specific issues and ways to help, which people that do not know where to start may need, a push in the direction. Another great source of information is the website that accompanies this documentary. Theharvestfilm.com is a great website that includes information not only about the film, but also about the issues that the film discusses with links to contact Congress and spread the word.

I think the simplicity of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss is best captured by the first pages, which introduce Sam. The reader sees the character carrying a sign away that reads “I am Sam,” only to return on the next page with the sign “Sam I am.” No other text is included. (Note: throughout the book Sam is called “Sam-I-am” so it is possible that the whole phrase its actually supposed to be his name.) The other main character of this short children’s book gives no such introduction. Our first view of this character (which for convention’s sake I’ll call “him” too; he remains nameless throughout the book) is of him sitting on a chair, reading. As soon as Sam goes by though, this character says, “I do not like that Sam-I-am.”

He has no reason to dislike Sam, who didn’t actually interact with him at all. Sam’s presence alone seems to be what’s bothering him. Sam, a friendly character uses the tried and true method of offering food to generate a friendship. He offers green eggs and ham, which the other character declares he does not like, and which he continues to assert throughout the book. He never does give a reason though, as to why he does not like them.

Sam, continuously nags the other guy over and over to try the green eggs and ham, in various situations, such as “on a boat,” “with a goat,” “in the rain,” or “on a train.” Throughout the book a rhyme and repetitive narrative is kept up, and the corresponding pictures are, in typical Dr. Seuss fashion, have animals with facial expressions that are very relatable to, despite being on the faces of creatures that are imaginary.

In fact, the ending, in which the second (non-Sam) character agrees to try the food to get Sam off his back, and then finds he likes the green eggs and ham, would seem to be the end of the relationship between the characters if not for the pictures. The final drawing is of the second character with his arm around Sam, an empty dish in hand, and a smile on both their faces, a visual tribute to the power of food to forge friendships.

I really liked that idea in this story; that food can be a point of connection between two people who are otherwise very different, as long as they are willing to try and learn about the other. Sam may be excessive in trying to find the best way the other guy would want to eat, going through 13 possibilities, but at least he tries. The other character is so busy focusing on keeping Sam and his “culture” (green eggs and ham) away, that he doesn’t realize that he is keeping himself from trying a food, which, it turns out, he likes.

This book, written at a pre-school level, reduces this very common human problem of “fear of the other” to its basic elements. Instead of making the idea silly, it simplifies it, weaving it into a story that even young children can understand, on some level. Of course, a sophisticated reader might merely skim the pages, but I think the premise of the book is just as powerful, whether it is read in 2 minutes or 25.

One of my favorite pages, which is a full picture spread with no words, shows the second character eyeing the slimy green egg which he has just committed to trying. The expression of uncertainty on his face, and the faces of all the assorted other creatures who are in the background of the picture who echo his sentiment, are so understandable. I can feel that same expression, I’ve had it on my face when I’m finally deciding to try something new after a long debate.

I also found it interesting that food is the chosen point of commonality between the two characters, not some other part of culture, like clothing or music. Similar to the use of food by New York City as a way to “Americanize” immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this book recognizes food as “one of those things” that brings society together. I know from personal experience that when people borrow ingredients, trade recipes, and just plain share food, they become closer.

Green Eggs and Ham never fails to bring a smile to my face. This story was a part of my childhood (so much so that my family once added blue food coloring to our scrambled eggs to make them green) that I still find inspiring. And I think that the rhymes, strange creatures and vehicles, and especially the nonsensical journey the characters take, which starts in the car driving a tree, whisks down a physics defying railroad track, winds through a tunnel and ends in the ocean, capsizing a boat (and all its occupants), are all part of the fun.

Seuss, Dr. Green Eggs and Ham. New York: Random House, 1960. Print.

Name: Taiwanese 101

Address: 135-11 40th Rd. Flushing, NY 11354

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Taiwanese 101 is a spacious restaurant situated in a rather rare nook in Flushing. From the bustling Main Street and its intersection of Roosevelt Avenue, I followed the latter street westward, escaping the human clusters. The next street parallel to Main Street is Prince Street, where I made a left and another left to come to 40^th Road. A few more steps planted me in front of Taiwanese 101, which, upon entering, seemed like a normal Asian restaurant. There are rectangular, dark and polished wooden tables that seat four people and round tables for larger groups. Carefully looking around, I found that the restaurant was extended deeper into the building, filled with rectangular tables. Contrasting with the norm of Asian decorations such as framed Chinese characters written in brushstrokes and colored paper balloons, are names of dishes plastered onto the wall opposite the entrance. Bright, neon cardboard papers the size of a hand are adorned with Chinese characters in bubbly fonts. There are also aquariums tucked into the walls next to the entrance, and two to three rows house lobsters and fishes. The restaurant gave an impression that it was trying to remain wholly Taiwanese, from its interior to its food, but failed to abstain from bringing in American elements.

I was served hot tea upon arrival and seating, and the menu was brought out promptly. The LTR-size menu is four sheets long, pictures included to aid and entice customers. It is divided into: Cold Appetizers, Taiwanese Appetizers, Taiwanese Specials, Seafood, Meat, Vegetable, Soup, Noodle Soup, and Lunch Specials. I ordered Crispy Shrimp Pancake with duck sauce; Spicy Squid with Hot Pepper; Shrimp, Ham and Vegetable Noodle Soup; and Taiwanese Burger.

Being more familiar with the cramped, dilapidated, and not-too-friendly-looking quasi-Asian restaurants on the bypass, Taiwanese 101 was a pleasant surprise. Its interior was not unwelcoming and the tranquility from simply being a block away from Main Street was blissful. The noodle soup had a pale coloration and failed to electrify my taste buds, but its mellowness and subtlety comforted my system, like chicken soup except for the saltiness and thickness. I really enjoyed the spicy squid due to my personal preference for spicy foods. It was composed of bite-sized squid with chili peppers, peanuts and scallions all mixed in red sauce. The burger, which I took home, had pork, cilantro and peanuts stuffed in white lotus bread. It was sweet and slightly juicy, with cilantro contributing its unique herb kick and peanuts providing the crunch. The lotus bread enveloped all the different textures and tastes into one, neutral, soft blanket. The pancake was the one I was slightly disappointed in. It was not even crispy, and only dipping it in duck sauce saved the bland flapjack from being chucked. I was convinced with the soup, the squid and the burger that this restaurant served decent Taiwanese foods, but the pancake made me doubt a little. Also, when I spotted non-Asian names such as Popcorn Chicken and the wall enhanced with neon cardboard pieces, my willingness to deem the restaurant quintessential disappeared.

Taiwanese food is one of the many cuisines that have immigrated overseas into America. Like any other Asian cultures, it eventually found its niche according to its demand. Flushing is occupied and used by a majority of Asian-descents, and a lot of them seek out Asian cuisines. Also, non-Asians who want to enjoy different dishes try out Asian foods. Being in America, which means being surrounded by people of various origins, and trying to make a living, it is almost impossible for an ethnic restaurant to remain completely unaltered by American features. As was observed in Taiwanese 101, there were dishes such as Popcorn Chicken, Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs and Beef with Broccoli that were not particularly Taiwanese but were put in to appeal to a broader range of customers, and the large store space hinted at the economical importance preceding the family experience of dining out in a cozy and homey environment. Dining in Taiwanese 101 further strengthened the idea that my group had, which is that ethnic restaurants in America conform to the desire of the surrounding population and eventually acculturate American qualities. I believe this review will help not only those who wish to dine in Taiwanese 101 but also those who want to reflect on how the assimilation impacts ethnic cuisines and their representative restaurants. I hope that my descriptions of the restaurant and its foods trigger individual memories and opinions about Taiwanese food and that they help to make an informed and validated statements about ethnic restaurants in NYC.

Review: Shu Jiao Fu Zhou Cuisine
Location: Chinatown, New York
Rating: 4/5 stars

On the corner of Eldridge Street and Broome Street, in the heart of Chinatown, is a small little restaurant called Shu Jiao that sells authentic Fu Zhou cuisine. From traditional fishballs, “bian rou,” pork and chive dumplings, peanut butter noodles, to beef noodle soup, Shu Jiao serves a variety of Fu Zhou foods at low costs. With just three dollar, you can get 11 juicy dumplings, 11 fishballs with meat filling or a big bowl of beef noodle soup. With two dollars, you can buy a container of peanut butter noodles or 7 dumplings. Once you enter the small restaurant, you’ll see workers wrapping dumplings and preparing fishballs at the back tables. Others behind the counter are boiling noodles, cooking dumplings and preparing the soup as costumers enter. This family owned business has a homey feel to the restaurant- the big round tables, simple furniture and the aroma of boiling dumplings creates an atmosphere similar to that of a kitchen in a Chinese home. After you order your food at the counter, a couple minutes later, a friendly waitress will bring your food over, and you’re ready to eat. Or if you want it to go, they’ll pack up the food in plastic takeout containers for your convenience. These light, tasty dishes are always a great treat.

Out of the whole menu, the dumplings are the most popular among my friends and me. Compared the many dumpling houses in Chinatown, the dumplings from Shu Jiao are unique, more flavorful and juicer. The two other dumpling houses nearby-Vanessa’s Dumpling House and Prosperity Dumplings are no match for Shu Jiao. The dumplings from Shu Jiao are hand wrapped and the meat inside is always so juicy and bursting with flavor. The dumpling skin is thin and chewy. The blend of ground pork and chives is a classic combination, sure to be enjoyed by anyone. With a bit of their special semi sweet chili soy sauce, the taste of the dumpling is made complete. This addition of a sweet and sour taste is very common in Fu Zhou cuisine. Fu Zhou cuisine is famous for their soups, fishballs and “bian rou.” In contrast to normal fishballs, within the handcrafted ball of fish paste, is a flavored pork filling. Plain fishballs being so tasty already, the addition of the pork within causes a flavor explosion in your mouth. “Bian rou,” literally meaning “flat meat,” is a small piece of meat covered by a think wonton wrapper. “Bian rou” and meat filled fishballs are foods that originated in Fu Zhou cuisine. Fu Zhou cuisine, a special type of Chinese cuisine, thanks to Shu Jiao, the authentic taste can be enjoyed.

At first glance, you may not want to enter this restaurant because it isn’t very well decorated. The plain sign, graffiti on the wall, the dirty glass and the smelly streets don’t make Shu Jiao very inviting. At times, it may feel cramp in the restaurant and seem a bit dirty as well. Although Shu Jiao is a bit run down, it has been able to serve some of the best “bang for your buck” dumplings in Chinatown. The tradeoff of a nicer, well-furnished restaurant could possibly be a great increase in the price of the food. The low price and fast service makes it so convenient for a quick meal. The fact that that it is so convenient is definitely a big factor that causes me to go back so often.

The food at Shu Jiao being quite traditional, may not appeal to those who enjoy stronger flavors in their food. Authentic Fu Zhou cuisine is quite simple and somewhat plain. Their dishes consist mostly of boiled foods. There are no fried dumplings or pan-fried noodles sold at Shu Jiao, however, the foods served at Shu Jiao are still so enticing. So many people, Asians and Americans alike are ordering and dining at Shu Jiao. Though the cashier and workers don’t know much English, it’s very easy to order by telling the cashier the number of the order from their menu on the wall. The owners figured out a way around this language barrier to serve non-Chinese speaking customers. Foods at Shu Jiao may be different and simple, however, they are still tasty and attractive to customers. In addition, Shu Jiao owners have made it possible for non-Chinese speaking people to dine there.

The owners of Shu Jiao most likely immigrated to the States and started up this food business to make a living. It’s very typical for a Chinese family to move to Chinatown and start up a business that is familiar to them. Because the owners are immigrants, they are able to make and serve authentic foods. They probably moved to Chinatown because Chinatown is an area where this Chinese immigrants can comfortable thrive because it is somewhat similar to their hometown and has cultural goods that they need. The type of rundown restaurant fits in with the all the other restaurants in the neighborhood. Shu Jiao wouldn’t make it in a richer neighborhood like the upper west. Shu Jiao is doing well, not only serving foods to Chinese, but also the owners have been able reach out to non-Chinese customers and their authentic dumplings have become a favorite snack to many.

Singh’s Roti Shop is a restaurant and bar located in South Richmond Hill, Queens. Singh’s Roti Shop is one of the most iconic and representative West Indian restaurants in South Richmond Hill (a neighborhood also known as “Little Guyana”). Singh’s Roti Shop is one of the larger businesses of the area and is incredibly hard to miss. The shop’s awning is a bright yellow with large red writing and bold green palm trees on the ends, most likely to appeal to a Caribbean demographic. At night, there are bright flashing neon signs of the beers served at the bar. Once someone steps into Singh’s Roti Shop, there is a very distinct smell of curries that fills the potential customer’s lungs while the eyes linger to the baked goods just ahead. To the left of the potential customer is the bar, usually holding no one in the daytime, but a large group of men gathered around a television screen at night watching that night’s cricket game. To the right are tables and chairs filled with children waiting for their parents to come back with foods. Straight ahead there is the aisle with a long line of customers waiting for the women behind the counters to serve them. In front of the line of customers is the main reason for the restaurant: the food. The food is displayed in a long glass case stretching from end to end of the facility. Behind the counter and glass case, the workers taking orders and serving food, and behind the workers is the kitchen with the male cooks and male servers constantly bringing out different trays of food waiting to be sold and eaten.

Singh’s Roti Shop’s story begins in the early 90s when, according to their website, “when a family decided that they wanted to open up a restaurant that catered to the West Indian community serving home made dishes from the islands in Queens, N.Y.” This statement seems to embody the exact decision that any immigrant opening up a restaurant in New York City would want to make. This is the motivation for many immigrants and the Singh family who opened Singh’s Roti Shop used that motivation just as well. The 90s were the beginning years of a great immigration movement from the West Indies to the United States. Thus, the time that this restaurant opened was the time that business would be at its peak. With the great amount of West Indian immigrants moving to the U.S., Singh’s Roti Shop was serving its purpose well. Eventually the restaurant had to expand due to popularity creating what is now recognized as the iconic shop. “With the opening of this new restaurant came a larger menu with more delicious dishes, a bar for customers to enjoy a drink and entertainment on the weekends.” West Indians now had a place they could gather to with familiar faces to enjoy the foods of their home and enjoy the sport of their country (cricket) with a popular pastime of social drinking. Following the footsteps of Singh’s Roti Shop, there are now many more restaurants and stores on the whole that cater to the West Indian community looking for a little piece of their old home in their new home.

Singh’s Roti Shop is convincing in serving its purpose. The way the restaurant is set up appeals to the most important social aspects of the West Indian culture. The shop accounts for the heart of any culture – the food. The menu includes curries (meats and vegetables), chow miens, fried rice, roti, and baked goods (utilizing the ingredients from tropical islands – coconuts, plantains, cassavas (yuccas)). The restaurant then accommodates its customers to the most popular form of entertainment of the West Indies: the sport of cricket. With the bar separate from the restaurant, families are without worry and bar-goers are still able to enjoy their own experiences. The restaurant is also incredibly large, and although the line of customers sometimes ends outside the doors, customers have the choice of staying in and eating or taking their food out. Overall, the ambiance is lively and inviting to the West Indian community. The food and arrangements are rich with West Indian culture, and Singh’s Roti Shop does an excellent job of keeping the atmosphere and West Indian culture authentic within its doors.