Spatial and temporal changes in Halal food sales and consumption. A case study of the city of Dearborn, Michigan

ABSTRACT

With a population of 3.5 million and growing in the US, Middle Eastern / North African (MENA) Americans are an integral part of the United States and the world. One of the main agents of cultural maintenance and support for the MENA American community are their ethnic food traditions, specifically Halal food. Since the introduction of Halal food in the US, sales and consumption of Halal products has increased immensely. This research seeks to answer four related questions focused on the entrance of larger, retail food corporations into this market segment traditionally occupied by smaller scale, ethnic food stores. An online survey of Halal food purchasers forms the core of this mixed method research project which also includes informal interviews with store owners, and survey of Dearborn’s business directories. MENA Americans are young, highly educated, and dedicated to their culture and heritage. Interestingly, for this population “religious reasons” remain to be the most important influencing factor when purchasing Halal food. Analyzed in light of the political climate of the time, the results of this study illustrate that the rise of Halal food can be better understood as a form of cultural resistance against the prejudice that the MENA Americans face.

KEYWORDS:

• Human geography
• discrimination and assimilation
• MENA identity
• immigration
• food studies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The Arab American Institute Foundation employs an adjusted estimate formula to address what the Foundation believes to be severe systematic undercounting by the US Census Bureau. The US Census bureau estimates for the nation and Michigan are 2,041,000 and 223,075 respectively (Arab American Institute Foundation n.d.).

2 It is highly unlikely to find an appropriate title that would suitably encompass the diversity of the Middle East and North Africa, especially when the colonial roots of some of these labels are considered. However, for the sake of brevity, “MENA Americans” will be used throughout this article.

3 The first author is fluent in Farsi, and has intermediate understanding of Arabic through his education in Iran. His knowledge of these languages allowed him to scan business directories.

4 With the goal of helping MENA immigrants adjust to life in the US, the non-profit ACCESS Community has been operating in the Dearborn area since 1971 and often serves as a clearing house for information for all interested parties in the community.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sam Roodbar

Sam Roodbar is a geography PhD student at University of California, Davis. His research is focused on the nexus of food systems, and international migration.

Gregory Veeck

Gregory Veeck is a professor in the Department of Geography at Western Michigan University, specializing in economic geography, agriculture, rural development, and rural environmental and ecological issues. Since the fall of 2008, he has served as a consultant to the Asian Development Bank on two agricultural development loan projects related to improvements to agricultural production systems and agricultural infrastructure (Projects Nos. 7311 and 7170) and on one World Bank Project in Shaanxi Province.