Voices from the Kitchen: Personal Narratives from New York’s Immigrant Restaurant Workers

Restaurateur Meyer talked with his own employees for this bighearted and inviting collection of nearly 30 firsthand accounts from New York City’s “servers, dishwashers, cooks, hosts, bussers.” All are immigrants, and in questioning them about the circumstances that led them to leave their birthplaces, Meyer sheds light on similarities: many come from small towns and large families, and suffered the loss of a parent in childhood. Some interviewees followed older siblings who had already immigrated; some left because of violence, from gangs in El Salvador to the Yugoslav Wars. Food stories suffuse these pages: recollections of a grandmother or mother’s home cooking, often over a wood fire, typically with simple ingredients (“salt, pepper, garlic, and some herbs from the garden”). While many of the interviewees dream of visiting their families again, between the cost and concerns about immigration issues (this volume was compiled before the Trump administration’s recent crackdown), only a few are able to. Each narrator’s tale contains moments of regretful reflection on the fact that they’ve lost the deep-rooted sense of respect and mutual care that existed in their hometowns. For some, the restaurant serves as a substitute family (one employee tells Mayer she refers to him as “Dad” when he’s not around). Meyer’s work highlights the hopefulness, hard work, and sense of community that immigrants bring to America. It’s a loving spotlight on ordinary people who have become political targets. (Nov.)