Immigration is the Heartbeat of NYC Dining
Where to dine out in New York City is not an easy decision to make. From the tip of Inwood and deep into Brooklyn, over 50,000 food establishments line the gridlocked streets. With new restaurants opening every year, NYC’s food industry is a significant economic and tourist asset. Almost 10% of employees make their living in the city’s food scene, and migrant workers make up over half of this workforce.
Whether you’re in the mood for Peruvian or Indian, or you want to try that Ethiopian spot you passed, or your friend is raving about a new Lebanese place, you can thank one group of people for all of these options: immigrants. As of late, it may seem hard to avoid anti-immigrant sentiment; much of what we hear disregards how immigration is the foundation of America. For centuries the story of our country’s founding has been warped, leading to widespread misunderstanding.
On Thanksgiving, we celebrate pilgrims, (read: immigrants), who came, (read: crossed a border), to this land to make better lives. Setting aside the genocide of indigenous peoples that occurred to claim this land, what is the difference between pilgrims and modern-day immigrants? It seems to me that one of the few commonalities history and the story of Thanksgiving share is the presence of food. In a sense, the idea of coming together over a meal is the backbone of our country. The contributions of migrant workers from all over the world built today’s American culinary culture. And in NYC migrant restaurant workers are becoming restaurant owners.
Restauranteur Ignacio Carballido understands this not just because he's shaped the city’s culinary landscape, but because his employees are doing the same. ”It’s frustrating when I️ see immigrants being treated badly,” and he's not afraid to turn words into action. When the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency was ordered by President Trump to raid multiple cities, Carballido hired a lawyer to be on standby. ”I told my employees that if ICE takes you, you get a call, immediately call my lawyer." Protecting his employees was vital to Carballido because their stories mirror his own.
Growing up in the Mexican state of Guerrero, Carballido wasn't a fan of working in his mother’s restaurants. It was, however, necessary. As a single mother of six children, hard work was the only way to keep their family afloat. ”Selling food was always the way my mother supported us, ” Carballido recalls how his mother began with a taco stand and went on to have three restaurants. Their financial situation changed after a death in the family, and Carballido's mother moved to the United States to make money.
She found work as a babysitter in New York City and steadily sent money back to her family in Mexico. A year later, Carballido joined his mom in the Bronx. ”I didn't expect New York to be like the Bronx,” the international illusion of life in America had worked it's magic on him. ”The images that Mexicans have of New York are all about glamour.” Disillusioned with his new surroundings Carballido set about changing his situation the only way he knew how: by working hard.
He got a job as a dishwasher at a restaurant, went to school and learned English. He then graduated from Buffalo State University with a degree in business. After a brief stint on Wall Street Carballido started an international line of women’s accessories, which he worked on full-time. It’s clear on Carballido’s face that none of these accomplishments made him prouder than moving his family to a nicer home in Queens. For a time, it seemed like they had achieved the American dream. Then 9/11 happened.
”Since the business was international after 9/11 we lost everything," Carballido explains. The economic impact of 9/11 reverberated across the globe and left many people with tight financial situations. Carballido was no different; all he had was an unused storefront in Nolita. ”I called my mom who was living in Texas at the time and said, 'Do you want to open a restaurant?', ” his mom didn't hesitate, "she said, 'Let's go!'" Just like that, they were back in business. Carballido and his mother were able to get back on their feet.
After 14 years, Carballido’s mother sold the restaurant and now lives comfortably retired. ”It was incredible to be able to lift ourselves back up with my mother,” Carballido tells me. At the center of most immigration stories is family. There are very few reasons a person would uproot their entire life, but family is number one. ”My mother was always the one supporting me; now I'm her support.”
But Carballido’s story doesn't end there. Starting a restaurant with his mom wasn't the only plan he had in mind. Digging back into his business roots Carballido began a mezcal brand called Los Amantes. Mezcal is an agave-based alcoholic beverage from Mexico on par with tequila. “The goal was to make mezcal and a bar to show people how to drink it” Thus, Casa Mezcal was born.
Located on the Lower East Side, Casa Mezcal established itself before the mezcal trend swept New York City. Marketing the relatively unknown drink proved itself more complicated than Carballido had expected. “People were very ignorant about mezcal,” he talks about their reactions to his idea, "they would say, 'What is this? This makes people crazy.' It had a bad reputation."
Nevertheless, Carballido persisted. His goal was to also make it possible for families in Mexico to support themselves. A goal that he has achieved. “We know families who had children living in the United States and have called them back [to Mexico] because they can now live off of mezcal.” Ultimately, the immigration of Carballido's mother turned out to be beneficial for many others.
Carballido's tale is one of tenacity and heart, but it isn't solely his. Immigrants and refugees all over the world are searching for hope in many countries. The United States, however, has a unique role in global immigration. Our country's international narrative glorifies the migration of one group of people and then vilifies the arrival of all other groups. There is no denying that America's economy depends on the steady influx of immigrants. While entirely open borders may not be the answer, neither is ruthlessly raiding homes and separating families. Our government needs i
intelligent and compassionate individuals to devise an ethical immigration system.
Just something to think about next time you're enjoying a quesadilla.
