White Brits who eat ethnic food are more tolerant of immigrants: Study
White British people who eat food such as Indian curry, Caribbean jerk chicken, or Spanish tapas are less wary and more tolerant of immigrants from different cultures.
This is according to a new study from the University of Birmingham and University of Munich, which surveyed 1,000 White British adults to explore the role of ethnic food as a potential way to reduce prejudice against immigrants.
The results showed that those who frequently eat a number of different ethnic cuisines are a tenth less likely to perceive immigrants as cultural or economic threats.
This effect is comparable to that of having a friend who is an immigrant to the United Kingdom.
Those who reported enjoying eating ethnic dishes more often were also less likely to vote for political parties that campaign to restrict immigration.
According to the study, the effect of ethnic food on tolerance to immigration was prevalent even among participants who were politically conservative or lived in less diverse areas.
“We wanted to explore how intergroup relations are shaped in daily life, and our study examined whether ethnic food could act as a subtle but substantial catalyst for social cohesion,” said lead author Dr Rodolfo Leyva.
“Simply put, can food serve as a bridge between people from different backgrounds? And the answer seems to be a very likely yes.”
Of course, increasing access to and visibility of ethnic food alone can’t solve structural inequality or eradicate racism. But it may open the door to dialogue, empathy, and mutual recognition,” Leyva said.
“In a political climate marked by rising nativism and xenophobia, those small moments of connection matter.”
