Social class and children’s food practices in Mexican migrant households

Abstract

This article uses qualitative data from children and parents to explore how children’s food practices in Mexican migrant households vary by social class in the United States. Irrespective of social class, children and parents expressed similar values associated with Mexican food, perceptions of unhealthy “American” diets, and difficulties in incorporating Mexican food practices into their diets. However, we show parents in working-class families to exert less control over children’s food practices than those in middle-class families. Experiences of families whose social class changed with migration suggest that resources and social class identity post-migration likely shape children’s food practices.