Foods of the Foreign Born in Relation to Health is a cookbook written by dietician Bertha M. Cooke. It was written as a guide for people that immigrated from Europe and other countries into the United States during the 19th Century. Derived from an Americanization study done by The Carnegie Corporation, Cooke dives into the world of understanding foreign cultures through, “studying people in relation to their diets.” Foods of the Foreign Born does draw attention to the cultural differences of immigrants moving into the United States during the 1920s while also focusing on the dietary needs and social characteristics associated with the integration of these immigrants into American society.
It was often difficult for immigrants to adjust to a new American way of life. Cooke talks about how much easier it was for American dietitians, medical personnel, etc. to learn foreign foods and adapt, then for foreigners to adjust their finances and lives overall for a new diet. American teachers and physicians, and others agreed with this concept of “Americanization”, or the unification of new with native-born Americans. On the other hand at another point when still talking about the dietary backgrounds Author Cooke says, “There is no one to tell them which of theirs to keep, and which of this country’s to adopt, or how to prepare them. They are probably more willing on their arrival than they will be at any later time to accept American help and suggestions.” Even foreigners themselves may have felt like they needed help fitting in as a new citizen in the United States. Shown by the way the authors assumed that at the time when people were newest to the United States, is when they would be willing to accept the most help. The point of th...
... middle of paper ...
... be effective in drawing attention to the different lifestyles of American citizens and those immigrating into America during the 19th century. Through the concept of “Americanization” we learned about the importance of combining new with native- born American citizens. Through Cooke’s many different points on diets, health risks, and society in general we see how she used her cookbook to connect the many different cultures together. It was written as a means of aquainting foreigners with a new life in a new country. It has been proven that this cookbook does more than just simply compare the foods of other peoples with that of the Americans in relation to health.
Works Cited
Brackmyre, Ted. "Immigrants, Cities, and Disease: Immigration and Health Concerns in Late Nineteenth Century America." US History Scene. U.S. History Scene, 13 Aug. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.
Michael Pollan, an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism (Michael Pollan), writes in his book In Defense of Food, the dangers of nutritionism and how to escape the Western diet and subsequently most of the chronic diseases the diet imparts. In the chapter “Nutritionism Defined” Pollan defines the term nutritionism. Pollan’s main assertion being how the ideology of nutritionism defines food as the sum of its nutrients, and from this viewpoint Pollan goes on to write how nutritionism divides food into two categories, with each macronutrient divided against each other as either bad or good nutrients, in a bid for focus of our food fears and enthusiasms. Finally, Pollan concludes that with the relentless focus nutritionism places on nutrients and their interplay distinctions between foods become irrelevant and abandoned.
The biggest need which they all discussed was food and the lack there of. Different cultural groups are coming to America
In Jane Addams’s effort to try to assimilate immigrants into the American culture, she targeted the immigrant children first. Addams believed if the children became assimilated, the adults would follow suit. Hull House offered cooking classes and adolescents often took them so they could learn how...
To her “unlearning is a skill as vital as learning” (Davidson 67), therefore the entire system needs to be overhauled to better suit this new generation of active students. We learn that Moss, Siebert, and Davidson are similar in this sense because all of them believe in some form of cultural restructure and imply that it is for a greater means. Whether that be Moss’ case of a healthier society, Seibert 's case of a more empathetic and peaceful society, or Davidson’s case of a more advanced and better prepared society. With the problems identified and the goal set in mind for each of the researchers, the next step is reforming human culture. American school systems in the next couple of decades should be more competitive than ever due to the fact that people will no longer settle for being “prepared for the past” (Davidson 56). America has become such a fast culture that “Eating real meals had become a thing of the past” (Moss 271), but now with the cultural shift taking place, full and healthy meals are spinning back into the rotation of Americans due to all the newly discovered information of how processed foods are killing our
In the years from 1860 through 1890, the prospect of a better life attracted nearly ten million immigrants who settled in cities around the United States. The growing number of industries produced demands for thousands of new workers and immigrants were seeking more economic opportunities. Most immigrants settled near each other’s own nationality and/or original village when in America.
The definition of homemade has changed drastically throughout time. Rachel Jones recognizes this in her article “Homemade is the New Organic,” published in 2013 by The Atlantic. It is in this article that she explains how media nowadays has raised expectations on home cooking. Jones` purpose is to make readers aware of the unrecognizable and unrealistic expectations that the modern media subtly places on us when it comes to home cooking. Based on the content and the examples presented in the article, it appears as though the author`s intended audience is people who cook, or more specifically, mothers that cook. Jones begins building her credibility with past experiences and reputable sources, uses facts to back up her claims, and appeals to reader`s emotions.
McLauhin A.., 1905, ‘The problem of Immigration’, The popular science monthly, U.S Public Health and Marine Hospital Service Washington D.C.
“Immigration Since the 1870s.” University At Albany. State University of New York, n, d. web. 20 March. 2014. http://www.albany.edu/history/HIS530/Immigrationsincethe1870s/immigration.html
The Western Diet is basically processed food, which is foods that are full with hormones, refined grains, sweet food, and food that is high in saturated fats. This food method that America is following is the reason for the increased rate of obesity in the country and many chronic diseases, due to why many Americans are suffering from. Pollan wants Americans to take control and set goals for themselves and their health. As he states, “A hallmark of the Western diet is food that is fast, cheap, and easy.”(424) This is the reason why people tend to buy it this food. Pollan is right about how the Western diet is affecting the people’s health negatively because of recent studies have shown that most of the food that people consume are processed foods, which gone through a process letting most of its nutritional values. Also, the food is full of unhealthy nutrients that are added to it during the process. An individual cannot have assurance of what he/she is consuming from a fast food place or a cheap prepared meal from grocery store. Western diet needs to be taken away from American’s life. He states “Not Too Much”(pp.426) will be the focus from the foods themselves to the question of how to eat, the manners, mores, and the habits that go with creating a healthy diet, and pleasing culture of eating. This way it will allow Americans to live their life healthier and
An outburst in growth of America’s big city population, places of 100,000 people or more jumped from about 6 million to 14 million between 1880 and 1900, cities had become a world of newcomers (551). America evolved into a land of factories, corporate enterprise, and industrial worker and, the surge in immigration supplied their workers. In the latter half of the 19th century, continued industrialization and urbanization sparked an increasing demand for a larger and cheaper labor force. The country's transformation from a rural agricultural society into an urban industrial nation attracted immigrants worldwide. As free land and free labor disappeared and as capitalists dominated the economy, dramatic social, political, and economic tensions were created. Religion, labor, and race relations were questioned; populist and progressive thoughts were developed; social Darwinism and nativism movements were launched.
Tim, D. (2001, November 9). Food: wake-up call. The Guardian. p. 6. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/245750589/4609D000A8BD47FEPQ/2?accountid=45916
In Michael Pollan’s “The End of Cooking” shares the message of what we are losing something important in this day and age because of all our pre-made and processed foods. This can be compared with Kothari’s “If You Are What You Eat, What Am I?” and her argument that food is part of one’s own identity. By using the examples from these two texts you can analyze the state of food and culture in the United States today. All of the processed and pre-made foods are causing people all across America to lose their sense of Culture. We no longer know what it’s like to make one of our cultures specialty dishes from scratch which can help people identify with their culture. This process helped newer generations see what it was like for those before them to cook on a daily basis and could help them identify your sense of culture.
Eating is extremely important, it is also important to eat healthy. Most Americans eat without any concerns; they are not questioning or researching what they are feeding themselves or their family. A lot of that has to do with their financial stability, not having the time to prepare a meal due to their time-consuming work schedule, also lack of knowledge and education on what they are consuming. In this bibliography, I will go over all three articles and explain what they are about.
Lewis, Edna and Peacock, Scott. The Gift of Southern Cooking: Recipes and Revelations from Two Great American Cook. Knopf, 2003.
Jacyln Maurer Abbot, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner. "The Sate of the American Diet." Enhancing Nurtrition in Consumption in the American Diet (2007): 32.