Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to launch “the largest deportation program in American history” could have a disastrous effect on the U.S. food chain, an industry that relies heavily on immigrant labor.
Serving a crucial role in feeding America, around 2.1 million immigrants work within the U.S. food supply chain. This includes jobs growing, harvesting, processing, and selling food in all states across the country.
While immigrants account for 14% of American civilians, according to migrationpolicy.org, 21% of all food workers in the U.S. are immigrants, demonstrating their disproportionate role in maintaining the country’s food chain.
A Crucial Cog in the Machine
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 42% of the country’s 2.4 million farmworkers are undocumented immigrants. However, farmer-workeradvocacy groups estimate that 75% of farmers in California — a state with agricultural exports of more than $24.7 billion — lack proper immigration status.
Fewer immigrant workers and complementary employees filling the gaps would lead to severe labor shortages, especially as many undocumented farmworkers earn below minimum wage and do not benefit from federal minimum wage laws and other labor protections. Decreased labor supply and high demand will lead to price spikes across many food industries, including meatpacking, dairy, wheat, fish, and produce.
The upshot is, by targeting millions of undocumented immigrants, Donald Trump’s actions will not only upend immigrants’ lives but have devastating effects on the dinner tables and bank accounts of millions of others.
The ‘Othering’ of Immigrant Food Cultures
Trump’s deportation program was just one wave in a sea of negative immigration rhetoric ahead of the 2024 election. His baseless accusation about Haitian immigrants “ eating the dogs ” is nothing new in America.
Accusing marginalized communities of engaging in bizarre behaviors — a coded way of saying they don’t belong — is a practice dating back over a hundred years.
These false accusations stretch back to the 1800s, when xenophobia grew in the wake of Chinese immigration. These harmful stereotypes persist to this day, evidenced by the closure of a California Laotian restaurant off the back of false claims they served dog meat.
Meanwhile, the Irish immigrant community experienced mass discrimination when they began arriving in the 1850s, while Mexican, African American, and Indian communities have all historically faced derogatory stereotypes about their respective cuisines.
While these stereotypes persist, the growing influence of immigrant communities helps broaden mainstream American tastes, enabling a wider embrace of international cuisines.
How Immigrant Cuisine Shapes American Culture
Since the days of the founding fathers, America’s diverse population has shaped the food culture in the U.S.
Asian food has long been a hugely influential part of American cuisine. Today, it’s the fastest-growing international cuisine in the U.S., with Chinese culture having a big influence on the average American’s diet. According to a Pew Research Center study, 12% of all U.S. restaurants serve Asian food. Of those, one-third serve classic Chinese dishes from Sichuan, Cantonese, and other subcuisines.
Traditional Irish dishes have also impacted American food culture. The humble potato — a key symbol of Irish heritage — has transformed the American diet. The likes of Irish stews, corned beef, cabbage, and, in terms of tipple, whiskey, are all part and parcel of U.S. food and drink culture.
Mexican cuisine’s indelible influence on American cuisine led to “Tex-Mex,” a blend of the two. Indian and other South Asian cuisines continue to spice up the American palate with delicious curries and sensational Indian street food.
Just as global cuisines have profoundly influenced the foundation of American culture, future population changes will affect Americans’ preferred foods in the coming years.
The United States Census Bureau predicts foreign-born residents will account for about 17% of the total U.S. population in 2060, up from 14% in 2020.
It seems that, despite attempts from certain quarters to reduce the influence of international cultures on American life, the melting pot of U.S. culture will only get bigger and richer.
