“A necessary reminder about the importance of Latinx workers to the United States. . . . The book’s use of a bottom-up approach would be a useful addition to scholars of the U.S., Latin America, and readers of all levels, especially those interested in the Latinx experience in the United States. I look forward to scholars who will heed to Flores’s call about addressing Latinx history in the Northeast United States, and, I might add, those who focus on the Latinx experience during COVID-19.”—A Contracorriente
“A timely discussion about the contradictions and tensions between consumer appetites and the hungers of those who labor. . . . Flores’s
Awaiting Their Feast invites students, instructors, and researchers to consider what they may learn when they center the aspects of everyday life that are most often taken for granted.”—H-Environment
“Using an impressive breadth of sources . . . [Flores] sees the opportunity and even obligation of scholars to promote food justice. . . . [
Awaiting Their Feast] is a critical and original contribution in its focus on Latinx food workers . . . spotlight on the Northeast . . . connections to and concerns about the conditions of current labor, and appreciation for the voices and perspectives of those who hunger for more.”—Pacific Historical Review
“Exciting and well-conceived, this rich and skillful narrative is sure to become a foundational text in the field. Truly, there is nothing comparable—an innovative exploration at the intersection between food, labor, and Latinx history. Stunning!”—Llana Barber, author of
Latino City: Immigration and Urban Crisis in Lawrence, Massachusetts, 1945–2000
“Lori Flores is one of the most perceptive writers about migration and the migrants who do the work that gets food into our kitchens and bodies. In
Awaiting Their Feast she brings to light how migrants eat and produce food at the same time, which becomes the key to understanding their impact on this country’s national cuisine. Consumers who value the pleasure we get from eating should afford workers the same, knowing that this means seeing more clearly who they are and what they fight for. This book opens the door to that understanding.”—David Bacon, author of Illegal People: How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants
“This important book explains why it matters that so many Americans happily eat tacos, salsa, and farm produce but care nothing for the Latinx workers who grow and cook that bounty. Industrial agribusiness profits from ignoring their toil and denying their human rights.”—Jeffrey Pilcher, author of
Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food
“Grounded in a wealth of research, filled with extremely compelling stories, and conceived by an author highly qualified to write it. This book is much needed.”—Aviva Chomsky, author of
Central America’s Forgotten History: Revolution, Violence, and the Roots of Migration
Book Description
The many hungers of Latinx food workers.
About the Author
Lori A. Flores is associate professor of history at Stony Brook University.