Reviving Recipes of Resilience from the Refugee Crisis: An Anthropreneurship Proposal Open Access

Abstract

Drawing from historical and anthropological perspectives on the use of food and communal dining to establish social systems and relationships across human history, this study begins by explaining the critical role of food in community building. From there, the study proceeds to explore the phenomenon of immigrants’ use of food as a tool for integration in the Atlanta metro area by means of interviews with founders of immigrant food businesses as well as an anonymous survey to the residents of the greater Atlanta metro community that gages consumer demand and residents’ perspective of immigrant food businesses. According to the thematic analysis of the interviews, affording a kitchen space and an adequate marketing strategy are the two most common obstacles facing entrepreneurs. On the other hand, the survey results show a high demand for and frequent utilization of food businesses selling culturally-relevant foods. Building upon the insights from the data analysis of the interviews and survey, as well as drawing from a case study of immigrant food businesses in Singapore’s Hawker centers, this study concludes with an intervention and business proposal aimed at eliminating some of the obstacles found to face immigrants while launching their businesses.

Table of Contents

Chapter I: Introduction……...…………………………………………….………….……….…...1

Chapter II: Background and Significance………………………………………………………....7

Chapter III: A Historical Perspective…………………………………………………………….10

Chapter IV: An Anthropological Perspective……………………………………………………15

Chapter V: Migration and Food: The Past and the Present……………………………………...21

Chapter VI: Methods……………………………………………………………………………..24

Chapter VII: Insights from Founders of Immigrant Food Businesses…………………………...26

a.             Home Food……………………………………………………………………….26

b.             Responding to consumer demand………………………………………………..33

c.             A Crumbly Path………………………………………………………………….36

d.             More than Fuel, Freedom………………………………………………………...40

e.             Hope……………………………………………………………………………...47

Chapter VIII: Non-immigrant perspective on immigrant food.……………….…………………49

Chapter IX: Limitations and Future Studies……………………………………………………..53

Chapter X: Potential Answers……………………………………………………………………54

a.             Intervention: Recipes of Resilience.……………….………………….…………54

b.             Anthropreneurial proposal.……………….………………….…………………..56

i.     What is Anthropreneurship.………………….………………………………56

                       ii. The proposal…………………………………………………………………..57

                       iii. Case Study: Hawker Inspiration……………………………………………...59

                       iv. Business model: The Resilient Kitchen………………………………………61

Chapter XI: Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….68

Works Cited………………………………………………………………………………….......70

Appendix I: Interview Transcripts……………………………………………………………….74

Appendix II: Survey Questions…………………………………………………………………..95

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Cultural Resources Management Business Administration, Entrepreneurship Anthropology, Cultural
Keyword	refugee crisis community food business
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Arri Eisen, Emory University
Committee Members	Christine Ristaino, Emory University Wesley Longhofer, Emory University Peter Wakefield, Emory University

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