My mother was from Italy. Both my dad’s parents were, too. It is disheartening to me to see many Italian-Americans supporting this truly awful administration and its policies. Do they not remember their own history in this country? Thank you for reminding us that it’s immigrants that make America great.
Our same Jamaican apple pickers come every year on temp ag visas. If they aren't able to come, orchardists are doomed. Americans won't do that work for more than a couple of hours at a 'u-pick' orchard. And our dairy workers are mostly illegals - who do the hard, dirty work competently and well. Plus they are just nice guys...
It shouldn't need to be said that this country would be nowhere without immigrants...
You speak my mind, as the Quakers say. I would love to have read your book on ethnic food. Everything you write is such a pleasure to read, and I always learn something I needed to know!
Thank you Nancy. Many a time I have had similar thoughts about how sparse our culinary cupboard would be without immigrants. The evil people in Washington will come up against a tidal wave of resistance as they attempt to destroy our country and our history.
Hear, hear! This Canadian had an immigrant father and grandparents from Denmark and the other set of grandparents from Russia. It's simply impossible to fathom the hatred emanating from "the unmentionables" in Washington.
So well expressed! The same applies to the UK - and because of a British reluctance to do the taxing farm- and food-related work for which we had to bring in labour from Europe, post-Brexit with that labour force now excluded from our shores, we are beginning radically to see just how much what is available for us to eat was dependent on willing immigrants to settle and grow and reap food that without them able or wanting to stay, we no longer can buy.
Well said. We in Australia are astonished, dismayed and quite frankly disgusted with what's going on in your wonderful nation. My wife, youngest daughter and I visited the north east in 2016 and had a fantastic holiday. My son helped make wine in Vermont & California on a couple of occasions. We can't believe what's happening over there. It's not the America we would go back to.
Yes, to this and more, Nancy. Food is such an extraordinary lens on and reflection of human culture. Food involves art, economics, politics, culture, science, nature, and history. It makes and reflects culture. The separation between the food and the table whether we are talking about the dining rooms and kitchens of our homes, fine restaurants, school cafeterias, and everything in between is vast and has become bigger. And more and more, the humans are left out of the equation.
Immigrants are our contemporary experts in the fields, orchards, and vineyards, slaughter and processing houses, and prep stations and dish pits, yet they are invisible to our dining and shopping eyes. The cost of food isn't only an inflationary thing, it is deeper than that.
In Pig Earth, John Berger exhibits a deep understanding of the close relationship between sustenance and subsistence in the context of farm animals, foraged foods, and vegetables, and what happens when the relationship is ruptured.
My mother was from Italy. Both my dad’s parents were, too. It is disheartening to me to see many Italian-Americans supporting this truly awful administration and its policies. Do they not remember their own history in this country? Thank you for reminding us that it’s immigrants that make America great.
Thank you Nancy for this reminder. I am afraid for Vermont and Maine who rely on immigrants for their dairy farming and apple picking industries.
Our same Jamaican apple pickers come every year on temp ag visas. If they aren't able to come, orchardists are doomed. Americans won't do that work for more than a couple of hours at a 'u-pick' orchard. And our dairy workers are mostly illegals - who do the hard, dirty work competently and well. Plus they are just nice guys...
It shouldn't need to be said that this country would be nowhere without immigrants...
You speak my mind, as the Quakers say. I would love to have read your book on ethnic food. Everything you write is such a pleasure to read, and I always learn something I needed to know!
Thank you Nancy. Many a time I have had similar thoughts about how sparse our culinary cupboard would be without immigrants. The evil people in Washington will come up against a tidal wave of resistance as they attempt to destroy our country and our history.
My father (UK) and grandfather (Slovakia) were immigrants to the US and now I am an immigrant in Italy. Thank you for these words!
Exactly, Nancy xo
thank you! Perfectly said.
Brava my friend!
I love this, Nancy!
Hear, hear! This Canadian had an immigrant father and grandparents from Denmark and the other set of grandparents from Russia. It's simply impossible to fathom the hatred emanating from "the unmentionables" in Washington.
Amen!
Beautifully articulated… HCR is a must read for all.
This would be an excellent time to bring back that book you didn't publish.
So well expressed! The same applies to the UK - and because of a British reluctance to do the taxing farm- and food-related work for which we had to bring in labour from Europe, post-Brexit with that labour force now excluded from our shores, we are beginning radically to see just how much what is available for us to eat was dependent on willing immigrants to settle and grow and reap food that without them able or wanting to stay, we no longer can buy.
Well said. We in Australia are astonished, dismayed and quite frankly disgusted with what's going on in your wonderful nation. My wife, youngest daughter and I visited the north east in 2016 and had a fantastic holiday. My son helped make wine in Vermont & California on a couple of occasions. We can't believe what's happening over there. It's not the America we would go back to.
Yes, to this and more, Nancy. Food is such an extraordinary lens on and reflection of human culture. Food involves art, economics, politics, culture, science, nature, and history. It makes and reflects culture. The separation between the food and the table whether we are talking about the dining rooms and kitchens of our homes, fine restaurants, school cafeterias, and everything in between is vast and has become bigger. And more and more, the humans are left out of the equation.
Immigrants are our contemporary experts in the fields, orchards, and vineyards, slaughter and processing houses, and prep stations and dish pits, yet they are invisible to our dining and shopping eyes. The cost of food isn't only an inflationary thing, it is deeper than that.
In Pig Earth, John Berger exhibits a deep understanding of the close relationship between sustenance and subsistence in the context of farm animals, foraged foods, and vegetables, and what happens when the relationship is ruptured.