Food is a common factor known to all cultures and customs. Whether it be a small gathering or a personal meal, food is a mutual theme in expressing the culture of a society. Foreign cultures have specific dishes that are essential to their identity and that tie into the representation of a country. The United states is a country composed of immigrants that have brought their cultures, customs, and food with them. Because we are a diverse society, I believe that “American” food is a constantly evolving combination of different dishes from different cultures.
Although we see various depictions that lack strict guidelines to define “American” food, it was not always this way. Before the food fight had ended there was a wide opposition to “immigrant” food because many saw it as fattening and unhealthy diets driven by “hidebound custom.” They believed that many people did not know about or appreciate the benefits and vitamins found in “American” staples such as corn. These “foreign” foods were unhealthy options brought about by ignorant immigrant women that were buying food based off of custom and not health aspects. To fix the “issue” of introducing foreign dishes, women reformers called for the assignment of a national dish while others called for increased regulation from the Food and Drug Administration to stop the spread of “un-American” foods.
Women began to introduce cooking classes aimed at immigrants and minorities in which they hoped to “create a scientific, healthful, and national cuisine” that was very similar to New England meals and cooking. This, not surprisingly, astonished many of the Native Americans that had already settled into their land long before the reforms for a national cuisine came about. Also, other reformers sought to tighten the grasp of the FDA to make it harder for immigrants cooking food and running businesses from their homes. They became very strict and passed guidelines that were impossible for many immigrants to follow, causing many of them to struggle. These regulations however, did not stop the spread of ethnically diverse food into the custom of “American” food.
During World Wars I and II and the Great Depression, many had trouble putting food on the table. So, Americans received good will and began to take note of the way immigrant families ate and thus, spaghetti became a common food eaten during the Great Depression. Thus, this is where we see the integration of immigrant food into “American” food, showing us that the food we eat in the United States comes from many different backgrounds, just like the people that call this country home.
