Exploring immigrants’ experiences through cultural practices and homemaking: the case of Dominican immigrants’ food practices

Moving away from questions about immigrants’ integration in various domains of the receiving society, this study focuses on their practices and feelings. More specifically, it provides insights in the role of cultural practices from the country of origin in creating home post-migration. By exploring food practices of Dominican immigrants in the Netherlands this ethnographic study shows how these practices contribute to their homemaking. The analysis focuses on the differentiated nature of homemaking. Firstly, the findings show that there is differentiation in familiarity. Secondly, homemaking does not only involve the re-creation of practices from the country of origin. There is differentiation in the meaning of food and whether it contributes to homemaking in the receiving society. The research shows how attention for feelings of home and cultural practices is an entry point to know about immigrants’ attachments to both the country of origin and the receiving society and their settlement experiences.