Research Journal of Foodservice Management & Educaon, Volume 11, Number 1, Pages 23–33 . ©2017 Published jointly by the Foodservice Systems Management Educaonal Council and the Naonal Associaon of Contribuon College & University Food Services Ethnic Food in the Journey of International College Students in the United States Khalid Mahmoud Eyoun, PhD1*; David Spencer Marn, PhD2 1Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA 2Associate Professor, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA culture that their restaurant represents. One example of cultural and ABSTRACT ethnic diversity is the success of ethnic food restaurants in the The purpose of this study was to invesgate the importance of ethnic American foodservice market. In 2009, ethnic food sales in the U.S. food to internaonal college students in the U.S. An online survey was surpassed $2.2 billion, and they were expected to increase by 20% by developed through reviewing the relevant literature, conducng focus 2014 (US Ethnic Food Market, 2005). America’s ethnic food market groups, and administering a pilot study. The populaon of this study generates $75 billion in annual sales; almost 65% of this is aributed consisted of internaonal students enrolled in universies across to the restaurant sector of the foodservice industry (US Ethnic Food different regions of the U.S. Four hundred and eleven (411) Market, 2005). quesonnaires were received, 269 of which were usable. This research has discovered that ethnic food is important to internaonal According to Onuorah and Ayo (2003, p. 235), dining habits are students and that the inclusion of ethnic food into on‐campus dining determined by “values, beliefs, and environmental and religious opons is a compeve advantage for universies who provide this circumstances, all of which are products of tradion, culture, and service over those who do not. The study has also found that contacts.” The way people prepare and consume their food expresses university administrators should pay more aenon to providing their cultural values and social system (Murco, 1982). According to ethnic food opons in on‐campus dining services. In addion, the Gochman (1997), culture disnguishes what we eat, how food is study concluded that ethnic food operators need to focus on certain obtained, who prepares it, where, when, and with whom it is ethnic food items that internaonal students consider when they dine consumed. People arrange their food dining habits into structured out. systems according to the cultural system (Counihan, 1999). The ways Keywords: Internaonal Students, Recruitment, Dining Habits, Ethnic in which people think about food differ depending on cultural Food ethnicity. For example, according to cross‐cultural studies (Chandon, et al., 2000), French naves consider pleasure an important element in choosing food, while Americans generally consider food a source of INTRODUCTION energy; food safety is also a crical factor in selecng food. Ethnicity When internaonal students travel to foreign countries, they undergo is not only an integral characterisc of an individual, but it is also a what is termed acculturaon. This is because internaonal travel process of group idenficaon in which people use ethnic labels [that inherently entails dealing with foreign cultures. The acculturaon involve aspects like opinions, cognion, affect, and knowledge] to process engenders a change within the internaonal travelers, which define themselves and others as well (Rossiter & Chan, 1998; Jamal & occurs as a result of their direct and connuous contact with people Chapman, 2000). The retenon of language and food preferences, as from different cultures (Redfield, Linton, & Herskovits, 1936). well as friendship networks, are among the most accepted Nevertheless, any claim to acculturaon adjustment would be dimensions of ethnic identy (Laroche, et al., 1999). Ethnicity affects incomplete without aenon to food consumpon; this is especially consumer behavior through personal dress style, musical preferences, important considering the centrality of food to one’s wellbeing recreaonal acvies, and the consumpon of food and drink (Locher et al., 2005). Food is a cultural symbol (Verbeke & Lo´pez, (Bocock, 1993, p.80). These factors have a strong impact on 2005). It is a cultural trait that humans learn throughout their primary customers, especially in other countries; the unique elements of development in childhood and a trait that consumers change with ethnic foods disnguish them from the local cuisine (Chandon, et al., great reluctance in older age (Cervellon & Dube´, 2005). All previous 2000; Leclerc, et al., 1994). Saa‐About, Paterson, Neuthouser, and studies concluded that food habits and pracces represent a central Elder (2002) indicated that immigrants prefer to eat their tradional element of culture, and that it is ancipated that travelers would cuisine to overcome homesickness or to remember and share their struggle to break away from their habituated food choices. This was original culture, a statement further supported by Brown (2009) who confirmed in a more recent ethnographic study of the internaonal added that homesickness is accentuated further for those who live student adjustment process, in which food emerged as a major alone (for example, students), for whom eang seemed to be a research category (Brown, 2009). It was shown that dietary habits source of nostalgia for a life full of companionship and sharing. were of great importance both emoonally and physically; it was also Fieldhouse’s (1995) suggested that the need for self‐actualizaon is an aspect of student life that was least open to change. related to an innovave use of food, where new recipes and food experimentaon becomes a personal trademark represenng one’s Ethnic food refers to the expression of food in terms of atudes, identy. values, behaviors and beliefs of a parcular culture that express The need for obtaining and increasing the consumpon of healthy cultural tradions, heritage, religion, or naonal origin (Mora, 1998). food items is considered as a factor in the increased growth of ethnic Ethnic restaurants not only funcon as eang establishments, but also foods. Recently in Europe, there has been an increase in the concern serve as “cultural ambassadors” that communicate the essence of a of consumers regarding food consumpon, diet, health, and food culture to local customers through its menu (Wood & Munoz, 2007). safety (Verbeke & Viaene, 2000; Miles & Frewer, 2001, 2003). In many ethnic restaurants, the owners have roots in the original Generally, there is an inclinaon to consume a low fat diet as part of a *Corresponding Author: Phone: (334) 332‐8376; E‐mail: [email protected] healthy intake in order to reduce the risk of heart diseases. Previous The Journal of Foodservice Management & Education Page |23 research reveals significant associaons between the quality of diet In line with the above noon, previous research has emphasized the and the availability of healthy food items in stores (Cheadle et al., importance of internaonalizing campuses and the educaonal 1991; Fisher & Strogatz, 1999). Due to the lack of local area food benefits stemming from the presence of internaonal students in the stores, it becomes hard to find many healthy food opons, which U.S. (Jones, 2002; Yang; 2004). From a polical perspecve, educang results in negavely affect dietary habits and contributes to the risk of the future leaders of foreign countries helps spread the polical obesity. The availability of supermarkets has been correlated with values of the U.S. and fosters mutual understanding of the U.S. more fruit and vegetable consumpon, more healthy diets, and lower throughout the world (NAFSA: Associaon of Internaonal Educators, levels of obesity (Morland et al., 2002a, 2006b; Laraia et al., 2004). 2003). Academically, internaonal students have been recognized as an asset to higher educaon (Ward, 2002), with prior research Studies reveal that deteriorated health, including higher levels of suggesng that the presence of internaonal students diversifies a obesity and diabetes, is associated with an increased consumpon of student body with variees of naonalies, cultures, and languages Western‐style food (Burns, 2004; Gordon‐Larsen, Harris, Ward, & (Lewis, 2003). In addion, it contributes to classroom diversity, Popkin, 2003; Himmelgreen, Bretnall, Peng, & Bermudez, 2005; Kedia, encourages cross‐cultural dialogue, and enriches the learning 2004; Saleh, Amanadis, & Samman, 2002). Specifically, research has environment and the experiences of domesc students (Hayward & indicated that sojourners are unlikely to gain weight or be considered Siaya, 2001; Rai, 2002; Ward, 2002). obese upon arrival in a western country, but they eventually converge to nave‐born levels over me (McDonald & Kennedy, 2005). It has Student recruitment and retenon is important for academic been proved that transion to a new culture can lead to substance instuons throughout the world (Yurtseven, 2002). In 2000, Lacina, abuse, a high alcohol intake, altered dietary pracces and an noted that “if we want to aract and retain internaonal students to increased Body Mass Index (Abraı´do‐Lanza, Chao, & Flo´ rez, 2005; our university campuses, we must focus on the students’ needs and Gordon‐Larsen et al., 2003; Lara, Gamboa, Kahramanian, Morales, & successes in the American university experience” (p. 26). Research Bausta, 2005; McDonald & Kennedy, 2005). For example, Asian has shown that most American colleges and universies have students within in the U.S., who had resided