Fourteenth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

This paper adopts an interdisciplinary perspective rooted in Spatial Humanities and probes the dynamics of migrant integration and social cohesion within the context of migrant food traditions and their interactions with the spatial environment or local spaces/places of host urban environments. Drawing on a mixed methods spatial approach the article reveals how migrants creatively carve out urban spaces, both physically and symbolically, at times plastically adapting and transforming Durban’s social and spatial context to attempt to territorially ‘mirror’ their identities and create a semblance of belonging away from home. The paper argues that by incorporating their food practices and engaging in spatial reterritorialization, African migrants shape and (re)define spaces that work in turn to facilitate social interaction and cultural exchanges with locals and other migrants. These spaces serve as potential ‘platforms’ or ‘migrated food heritages’ that arguably promote smoother integration processes, fostering a sense of urban mutuality and cohesion. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding the spatial context and processes of migrant food traditions in shaping the multifaceted and palimpsest landscape of urban integration, particularly within the context of the Global South.