Food As a Carrier of Memory & Belonging in Transnational Families

This paper explores the role of food in the transmission of memory and negotiation of belonging within transnational and multi-generational contexts, with a particular focus on mixed-race children of migrant parents in Germany. Drawing on empirical research from my doctoral project on archives of women of color, I examine how food operates as a non-verbal medium of connection, particularly for the second generation of migrants who may not speak the language of their migrant parent and often feel disconnected from their heritage. Through an interdisciplinary lens, I analyze how food and food practices serve as a vehicle for intergenerational knowledge transfer, embedding cultural memory, and fostering a sense of belonging in transnational families. In the absence of a shared language or written narratives, food becomes an essential means for transmitting family histories, cultural identities, and collective memory across generations and borders.

This research contributes to the broader understanding of how transgenerational memory processes are organized in transnational spaces, particularly in cases of migration, exile, and forced displacement. By focusing on the sensory and embodied practices surrounding food, this study highlights how memory and cultural continuity are preserved through everyday activities, offering new perspectives on the intersections of migration, memory, and identity. The findings emphasize the pivotal role of non-verbal practices in sustaining transnational ties and intergenerational dialogue, expanding the scope of biographical research on memory transmission beyond the written and spoken word.