Cross-Cultural Cuisine in America: Mexican and Thai Communities Learn More about Each Other through Food

We've been talking a lot about cross-cultural exchanges in all classes this year -- and we will be for the rest of the year... After all, that's the whole point of the new sections of "American Culture" that we introduced in the 9th and 10th grades. The focus on "food" in the ninth grade classes offers us many yummy ways to delve into the topic!

This following radio broadcast and essay tastily sums up how such exchanges are taking place within American cities, where people of all cultures are neighbors. Click on this link to hear how Mexican and Thai immigrants are discovering each others' languages and culture through a shared love of food. 

Here is the transcript of the radio program, as heard on Youth Radio:

August 13, 2008 at 11:00pm

By Evelyn Martinez, Youth Radio Los Angeles

SCRIPT:

EVELYN:  What's the new what?  Check this out, I say that Thai is the new Latin Flavor.

SURIYANEE: We're gonna have some Thai food today.  Siete Mares sea food soup and we have arroz frito con camaron.

EVELYN: Yep. You heard right. "Camaron" is a Spanish word for shrimp.

That's Suriyanee Phongpian (), co-owner of Khun Dom Thai restaurant in Hollywood, where she says at least 70% of her customers are Latino. And that's why she translates her whole menu into Spanish!

It turns out that Thai restaurants all over Los Angeles are making adjustments for their growing number of Latino clientele.

AMBI: Street noise, door chimes, walking into restaurant…

Here at Lerd Rod Thai restaurant in Koreatown, they have a huge neon sign that reads in Spanish "Sopa de Siete mares". According to a waitress, 90 percent of their customers are Spanish-Speaking Latinos. Marta Jimenez is one of them.

MARTA: Me gusta por la manera de cocinar y el sabor que tiene.

EVELYN:  Marta Jimenez loves this restaurant. Why? Because she likes that it serves dishes similar to ones she cooks at home. 

So why are Thai restaurants all the rage among Latinos in Los Angeles?

Suriyanee Phongpian says there are tons of parallels between Thai food and dishes from different Latino cuisines including Mexican, Peruvian, and Colombian. Even the spicy, sour and sweet flavor profiles are similar. My aunt started cooking Thai at home-and she didn't even need to buy new spices!

But Phongpian says the similarity goes beyond the food.

SURIYANEE: I always think about I went to Latinos they say "Su casa es Mi Casa" your house is my house… right

She tells me there's actually a similar saying in Thailand!

I totally get what she means: that Thais and Latinos are teaching each other a lot about language and culture - like Phongpian learning her menu in Spanish.

Mark Pandoognpatt is studying the role of food in L.A.'s Thai community at the University of Southern California.

He tells me this cross-cultural exchange in restaurants could be a sign of even bigger alliances.

MARK: The restaurants themselves are political spaces. Just by her learning Spanish, that's already a political commitment, as much as it can also be a marketing commitment for her its still a strong statement that she's making.

AMBIENT: RESTAURANT AMBI

Mark says these kinds of exchanges are how multicultural communities evolve. And I'm all for it, especially if that evolution means more sweet and spicy lunches like this one.

AMBIENT: mmmmm. Pouring sounds.

And as long as it tastes good, why not let Thai be the new Latin flavor?