Food, migration, gender. Inequalities and claims in the city

peer reviewedAs part of a research project on public opinion on refugees and asylum seekers, and on socio-cultural and political participation initiatives of migrants and local citizens, it was possible to gather relevant data on how food enables - among other cultural activities - such participation. In particular, through ethnographic research, I was able to explore the preparation of meals for the local population by a group of undocumented women living in Liège as a means of taking an active part in the life of the city, despite the fact that they are excluded from it in terms of legal status and rights. By preparing food at local events and interacting with local organisations (associations, services, institutions) that create the conditions for these activities to develop, undocumented women position themselves as active subjects contributing to the local dynamic. In doing so, they negotiate their cultural belonging and food traditions by mixing them with new local practices. As an example, I will analyse the organisation of some "tables d'hôtes" in the house that these women occupy. The meals prepared combine the culinary traditions of sub-Saharan and West Africa with local recipes and values. Indeed, specifically in the neighbourhood where this activity takes place, ecological concerns guide food habits in terms of sourcing practices and cooking methods. Exploring this example shows how food - and food sharing in particular - can be the material and discursive site for establishing relevant relationships and claiming rights - although with some constraints. To do this, food habits need to be adapted to the local environment. Undocumented migrants, whose application for legal residence in Belgium has been rejected and who find themselves deprived of civic rights, manage to find a place - albeit an unstable one - in the host society through the performance of food practices involving the local population and engaging in contextual dynamics