Feeding a Future Cosmopolitan: Practicing Parenting in the Space of Food and Dining

This paper explores the complex relationship between transnational mobility and parenting by examining the social and cultural space shaped by family practices centered around food. Drawing on a 16-month ethnographic study of transnational migrant families from economically developed countries living in Guangzhou, China, this study focuses on how transmigrant parents use daily food-related activities with their children to negotiate family identity, demonstrate their embeddedness in the local community, and express aspirations for future transnational mobility. The paper discusses how a sense of belonging to multiple places is constituted and influenced through family dining space, and how these feeding practices reflect parents’ understanding of multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism. The findings reveal that transmigrant parents encourage their children to engage with culinary experiences beyond the traditional food cultures of both China and their countries of origin. These parents aim to cultivate a diverse palate in their children, believing that early exposure to various food cultures enhances sensory experiences, fosters openness—both physically and mentally—and equips children with the cultural adaptability needed to navigate and appreciate diverse food environments in a globalised world.