Representations of Diasporic Iranian Identities in Commercial Food Spaces in London and Vancouver By Priya Vadi Thesis Submitted to the University of London For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the Department of Geography ROYAL HOLLOWAY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON September 2015 DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP I, Priya Vadi, hereby declare that this thesis, and the work presented in it, is my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, this is clearly stated. All unreferenced images presented are my own. Where I have presented images produced by others, this is clearly stated. Signed: ________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________________________ ii ABSTRACT This thesis is a study of how diasporic Iranian identities are represented in commercial food spaces in London and Vancouver. I look at how these identities are represented in both Iranian and non-Iranian commercial spaces such as grocery stores, restaurants and food stalls. My research compares food practices in the two cities in order to grasp the role of local and national contexts in shaping these relations. The data collection draws upon a qualitative methodology. Empirical materials include photography, field notes and interviews. I also use restaurant websites, social media and restaurant review sites as part of my data collection. The literature review positions the research at the intersection of scholarship on diaspora, the circulation of material cultures, and diasporan interactions with food, with a specific focus to the Iranian diaspora in London and Vancouver, contributing to research agendas in the areas of diaspora and cultural production, and the wider studies on the Iranian diaspora. The first empirical chapter focuses on how Iranian commercial food spaces are marketed in terms of reflecting Iranian identities in terms of food spaces and commercial cultural production and representations. More specifically, it looks at the importance of advertising campaigns through print media, social media, and website advertising. I analyse how Iranian identities are performed and for whom by conducting a content analysis of marketing data. The second empirical chapter focuses on the ways in which these spaces function as sites of cultural iii production and symbolism (Zukin, 1996) through the ways in which they are designed, organised and decorated. The final empirical chapter focuses on the food (meals and food items) sold in the various commercial Iranian food spaces in London and Vancouver. Chiefly, as elsewhere in the thesis, my focus is on the food provided in variant spaces, including food trucks and commercial supper clubs held at private homes. It reflects on the character of the food sold by diasporic Iranian providers and on how its making intersects with the production of diasporic identities. iv DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to my grandmother Prabha Patel (1934-1994), who taught me the value of education, and my uncle Jagu Leava (1955-2014) for teaching me that weird food combinations work and taste good. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While such projects are generally thought to be undertaken alone, they are certainly not accomplished in isolation. First and foremost, I am indebted to Phil Crang for his guidance and patience of ploughing through many drafts filled with random ideas. I would like to express my gratitude to David Gilbert for his generous support and thoughtful comments. I am grateful to Paul Kingsbury, at Simon Fraser University, and Lenore Newman at the University of the Fraser Valley for mentoring me during my time in Vancouver. I am indebted to Jean Duruz and Tariq Jazeel who graciously agreed to be my examiners, for their thoughtful comments and questions, which will provide food for thought for years to come. A debt of gratitude is owed to everyone who volunteered their time to participate in this research, thank you for your hospitality. I would also like to acknowledge Katheryn Spellman-Poots, Cameron McAuliffe, Dan Swanton, Reza Gholami, Sherzad Ghorashian, Houchang Chehabi, Amir Mirfakhraie, Ben Coles and Derryl MacLean for sharing their ideas and thought provoking conversations. To Gwilym Eades, thank you for helping me to produce my maps. Thank you to Nima Alavi for translating advertisements from Farsi to English. Akshay Patel, Nishpa Patel and Anika Patel, thank you for helping with transcription. I would also like to thank Katherine Newman for her diligent proof reading. vi Many friends and colleagues have contributed ongoing intellectual and emotional support throughout the duration on my PhD program: Laura Prazeres, Laura Price, Harriet Hawkins, Hugh Crossfield and Brian Hracs amongst others of who I have had the privilege of meeting during the course of my PhD. Saloni Dholakia, Neil Dholakia, Priya Dholakia, Joyce Chen, Jin Zhang and Brandon Heung, without your kind friendship and frivolous antics I would have lost my sanity. I would also like to acknowledge The International Council for Canadian Studies for funding the research conducted in Vancouver. Ultimately, I would like to thank my parents for their support on my academic journey and for willing to try whatever concoction I placed in front of them. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration of Authorship.................................................................................. ii Abstract .............................................................................................................. iii Dedication ........................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... vi Table of contents ............................................................................................. viii List of Figures .................................................................................................... xi Glossary .......................................................................................................... xvii 1: Introducing Diasporic Iranian Food Spaces ................................................ 1 1.1 Introducing the Iranian Diaspora ........................................................ 6 1.2 Research Aims and Objectives ........................................................ 18 1.3 Chapter Outline ................................................................................ 19 2: Diaspora, Material Culture and Food: A Contextual Review .................... 24 2.1 Introduction....................................................................................... 24 2.1.1 Where Are You From? No, Where Are You Really From? Concepts and Definitions of Diaspora ........................................... 25 2.1.2 Defining Diaspora ......................................................................... 26 2.1.3 Diaspora as a Theoretical Framework .......................................... 31 2.1.4 Roots and Routes: Shaping and Forming Diasporic Identities ...... 35 2.2 Diasporas and the Circulation of Material Culture ............................ 44 2.3 The Iranian Diaspora and Processes of Diaspora Identity Formation ......................................................................................... 47 2.3.1 Existing Iranian Diaspora Scholarship .......................................... 48 2.3.2 An Overview of Iranian Migration .................................................. 49 2.3.3 The Revolution as a Cause of Migration ....................................... 51 2.3.4 Patterns of Settlement .................................................................. 54 2.3.5 Negotiating and Performing Iranianness ....................................... 63 2.4 Diasporic Food Consumption ........................................................... 68 2.4.1 Food in the Diaspora Space ......................................................... 69 2.4.2 Restaurants as Diasporic Spaces of Consumption ....................... 72 2.4.3 Grocery Stores as Diasporic Spaces of Consumption .................. 77 2.4.4 Questioning Authenticity ............................................................... 82 2.4.5 Bodily Engagements with Food and Foodscapes ......................... 88 2.5 Conclusion........................................................................................ 99 3: Researching Iranian Food Spaces in London and Vancouver ............... 101 3.1 Introduction..................................................................................... 101 viii 3.2 Site Selection: Establishing London and Vancouver as Research Sites ............................................................................... 102 3.3 Surveying the Spaces: Mapping, Observations, and Photographic Documentation ......................................................... 107 3.4 Interviewing .................................................................................... 112 3.5 Media Analysis ............................................................................... 119 3.6 Data Analysis, Textualisation and Presentation ............................. 123 3.7 Engaging with the Iranian Community ............................................ 126 3.8 Challenges, Limitations and Ethics ................................................. 129 3.9 Conclusions .................................................................................... 135 4: Marketing the Iranian ................................................................................. 137 4.1 Introduction....................................................................................