Hi, I'm from Mexico.
“Every FOB is in the United States for a reason."
This is Manuel, 30 years old, from Mexico. He is a confident and energetic software engineer. “My job basically is to realize people’s fantasies through coding and programing." Manuel is very proud of his job and what he is doing. “I love coding. I've been fascinated by computer programming since I was a kid.”
He moved to Seattle, like other 1.38 million foreign-born FOBs coming to the United States to pursue opportunities for a better life, in 2015. “No one would resist a well-paid job.” Before moving to Seattle, Manuel had been working in Mexico, as an Android Developer Technical Lead, for six years, but it didn't pay him much. “I always dream about working for a giant IT company in the United States. Now, I am physically and geographically one step closer to my dream.”
FOB is an acronym for "Fresh Off the Boat", and refers to new arrivals/immigrants to a country. A phrase first coined in New Zealand in the early 90's by Polynesians to differentiate new arrivals (immigrants) from the old country (Tonga, Samoa, etc) from those with a Western upbringing. Now commonly used to describe any person new to a country, who is not well versed with its language or culture.
According to American Community Survey, in 2015, 1.38 million foreign-born individuals moved to the United States, a 2 percent increase from 1.36 million in 2014. India was the leading country of origin for recent immigrants, with 179,800 arriving in 2015, followed by 143,200 from China, 139,400 from Mexico, 47,500 from the Philippines, and 46,800 from Canada.
In 2015, Mexicans accounted for approximately 27 percent of immigrants in the United States, making them by far the largest foreign-born group in the country.
I am hungry.
“I don't understand the menus.
I couldn't find the taste I used to have back in Mexico."
Manuel had never thought food would be a big challenge to him.
In fact, Manuel's mom didn't want him to go to Seattle. It was his very first time leaving home far away to work in an alien environment even though he had a three-month-working-experience in Spain a couple of years ago. Manuel had been living in Mexico City for three years before moving to Seattle because of his job location. His parents are still living Veracruz, a major port city where Manuel was born and grew up, spending his whole childhood and most of his time. Manuel and his parents are very close, and he used to visit them once every two weeks, 250 miles, six hours by bus from Mexico City back to Veracruz. “Since birth, I have been spoiled by my mom's incredible cooking.” Manuel mom is very good at cooking, and she loves cooking Manuel’s favorite dishes whenever Manuel visits them.
The day before Manuel's leaving, his mom cried. She worried about his son living alone in a foreign country since he had never cooked. "In my mom’s eyes, I am always a kid doesn't know how to take care myself." Manuel was more worried about if his co-workers liked him and how he adapted to the new working environment. “But, my mom’s concern became a real and serious challenge to me. Food is essential because I have to eat, three meals a day."
Where to eat and what to eat became Manuel's daily challenge.
Manuel has been struggling with understanding the menus. Those unfamiliar words and never-heard-of-ingredients drove him nuts. “The most frustrating thing is they don't have photos to show what the dish looks like. In Mexico, we have colorful pictures on the menus to demonstrate the food, the most popular dishes, and chef’s specialties. Those photos gave me a clue in a vivid way when I don't understand the menu.” Besides the issue of not-visualized menus, the language barrier is a another huge hurdle. Manuel had never been immersed into an English speaking country. Speaking his second language with native English speakers was intimidating. “I was nervous when I was ordering. I’m afraid of seeing waiter’s frowning eyebrows and their confused expression because of my broken English and Mexican accent. I felt embarrassed when I didn't understand what they said. If I asked them to explain, it got even worse.” Ordering and the back-and-forth conversation with waiters were stressful. Manuel’s intermediate English level couldn't fully support him to understand menus, order food, and have a conversation at a local market. He felt frustrated and became unconfident. Sometimes, Manuel had to ask his friends who have been living in Seattle longer than him to go with him. They can help handle conversations.
After landing his new life in Seattle, Manuel started voraciously looking for Mexican restaurants in his neighborhood. “I had a craving for one bite of authentic Mexican flavor especially when I was in Seattle during first three months.” Manuel went Chipotle which was highly recommended by his American co-workers. In fact, Chipotle in Spanish means one type of chili, and one of their popular dishes, burrito bowl, doesn't exist in Mexico at all. After a couple of months searching, Manuel realized he couldn't find the familiar taste he used to get in Mexico easily.
Sitting in an unfamiliar Americanized-Mexican restaurant alone and eating weird tacos, at that moment, Manuel felt lonely, and an air of melancholic nostalgia surrounded him. His family is 3,000 miles away in Veracruz, Mexico. He even had a thought flying back to Mexico.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Our most basic need is for physical survival, and this will be the first thing that motivates our behavior. If these requirements are not met, the human body cannot function properly and will ultimately fail. Physiological needs are thought to be the most important; they should be met first. To survive we need to eat. Yet, food is a source of energy and nutrients essential for human health and well being.
I miss my family.
"Imiss my mom’s cooking and our family meals the most. My mom is very good at cooking. I really miss the warm, relaxing, and lively vibe of family gathering. My mom and my sister are cooking in the kitchen; my dad is watching TV, whilst chitchatting with me. My nephew and my niece, they are playing with their phones. Sometimes, we play games together, and I show them Apps I developed.” Manuel’s family is one of millions ordinary family-oriented Mexican families, and families eating meals together is a very important tradition in Mexico.
Manuel’s favorite festival celebration is Día de los Santos Reyes, which is a Mexican tradition and religious holiday, 12 days after Christmas. Día de los Santos Reyes is one of the biggest annual family reunion days in Mexico. All family members sit together, eating Rosca de Reyes and drinking hot chocolate. Manuel’s mom buys a Rosca de Reyes from the local market, a traditional Mexican bread in the form of a ring. A small plastic doll, symbolizing Jesus newborn, is hidden inside the bread. Each family member cuts a slice of bread to eat. Manuel’s happiest moment is when someone finds the baby Jesus figurine, the rest of family are all laughing about the person because this person has the responsibility of buying tamales (Tamale is a steamed dish made of dough, and it is wrapped with a corn husk or banana leaf) for everyone in the family.
In Seattle, January 6th is another ordinary working day to Manuel. Most of time, He has to eat alone, and he can’t go back to celebrate because of his work.
I find my way.
“I don't want to let my parents down. I want to tell my mom I am grown up. If I cannot overcome the food challenge, how can I continue pursuing my American dream. "
Manuel was the first software engineer in his family and also the first person having the chance to work in the United States. Manuel’s father always encourages him to go for this dream and grasp those precious opportunities. “My family are my solid back with their unconditional love. I don't want to let them down. If I cannot overcome the food challenge, I would question myself how I could continue pursuing my dream job. I would lose this hard-earned opportunity eventually.” Manuel started learning cooking. "I couldn't find the taste here, I created it myself." He asked for the recipe of his favorite dish, fritas, from his mom. Grocery shopping was not an easy thing to him not only because of the language barrier, but also finding the right ingredients to cook. After online searching and asking friends’ recommendations, Manuel finally found a small grocery store nearby his neighborhood selling imported Mexican food, including his favorite cheese, queso fresco. The day when he cooked fritas, he was thrilled to share his little progress with his family through their WhatsApp group chat. “At that moment, I wept tears of joy because I had been craving for this taste for quite a long time. I don't want my parents to worry about me. I want to tell them I am grown up, and I can take care of myself.”
“I feel privileged living in Seattle. I couldn’t have had this opportunity exposing to such diverse cultural environment and making friends from different countries if I were still in Mexico." The past two years living in Seattle was an eye-opening experience to Manuel. He started understanding the diversity, embracing the difference, and finding out his own way to overcome his food challenges. He tried harder to improve his English, going to culture exchange conversations, meet-ups and attending language practicing groups at Seattle Public Library. He found friends there, they are just like him, FOBs. He went to tea house with his Japanese friends. He had Chinese food at Din Tai Fung, which became one of his favorite restaurants in Seattle. He even studies Japanese at Seattle Central college. “I know I still have a long way to go to realize my dream in the United States, but having a positive attitude and an open mind propel me to face what I am tackling with fearlessly."
“Without any doubt, Mexican food absolutely is my most favorite food in the world. I cannot stop loving it. Mexican food is my culture, my heritage, and my identity.” Every time, when he misses home, he likes to go to a restaurant, called Plaza Garibaldi, to have an Americanized Mexican dinner with his old college friends. They are talking, eating, drinking, and laughing together. In that Mexican restaurant, on that table, Manuel feels, relaxing, homey, and happy.
