There are two kinds of white people who work in restaurants. The kind who doesn’t learn the names of the Latinx immigrant cooks, and the kind who does. And there are two kinds of celebrity chefs. The kind who leaves the kitchen to pick up his award and forgets about the crew that made him, and the kind that doesn’t. Anthony Bourdain was the second kind. In his first book, Kitchen Confidential, specifically in the section “Who Cooks,” he made it very clear who is feeding America — something other celebrity chefs have never bothered to point out:

“Most of the Ecuadorians and Mexicans I hire from a large pool — a sort of farm team of associated and often related former dishwashers — are very well-paid professionals, much sought after by other chefs. Chances are they’ve worked their way up from the bottom rung; they remember well what it was like to empty out grease traps, scrape plates, haul leaking bags of garbage out to the curb at four o’clock in the morning. A guy who’s come up through the ranks, who knows every station, every recipe, every corner of the restaurant and who has learned, first and foremost, your system above all others is likely to be more valuable and long-term than some bed-wetting white boy whose mom brought him up thinking the world owed him a living, and who thinks he actually knows a few things.

You want loyalty from your line cooks.”

Bourdain didn’t just ask for loyalty, he returned it. In season 1 of his first television show A Cook’s Tour he took his cameras to Puebla, home of the line cooks in his kitchen. The episode was called “Puebla: Where Good Cooks are From.” Bourdain’s host in Puebla was Bourdain’s colleague and sous chef Eddie Perez, who Bourdain described as the “backbone of Les Halles,” his French restaurant in New York City.

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Let other white people swallow every lie in the press about Latinx immigrants. White Americans work side by side with Latinx immigrants, both documented and undocumented, in restaurants every single day. There is no plausible deniability for them. They know undocumented immigrants aren’t choosing to be undocumented. They know that America needs them, exploits them, and persecutes them.

Bourdain’s loyalty and willingness to tell the truth didn’t end with humanizing immigrants. He also demanded real solutions from the people showering him with awards and television shows.

In an interview with Eater, he urged the James Beard Foundation to fund para legal aid for Mexican cooks.

It’s not a fucking Benetton ad. Maybe pony up some of that money for free paralegal advice for the great number of Mexican immigrants who have been working in this business all of these years who are struggling to stay in this country and would like to do it legitimately. Just seems like there’s a lot of money floating around, and I’d like to see a little of it broken off to reflect those that are actually cooking in this country.

He also spoke on social media about the need for the culinary establishment to fight for immigration reform.

And in a society where it is rare for to go against the well-worn yet fictional narratives that vilify undocumented immigrants, Anthony Bourdain told the truth about that too. He told the Houston Press in 2007:

“People have differing opinions on what we should do about immigration in the future. How open or how closed our borders should be. Fine. But let’s be honest, at least, about who is cooking in America NOW. Who we rely on — have relied on for decades. The bald fact is that the entire restaurant industry in America would close down overnight, would never recover, if current immigration laws were enforced quickly and thoroughly across the board. Everyone in the industry knows this. It is undeniable. Illegal labor is the backbone of the service and hospitality industry — Mexican, Salvadoran and Ecuadoran in particular. To contemplate actually doing without is to contemplate mass closings, a general shake-out of individually owned and operated restaurants — and, of course, unthinkably (now) higher prices in the places that manage to survive. Considering that our economy and employment picture is now largely based on us selling hamburgers to each other, the ripple effects would be grave. I know very few chefs who’ve even heard of a US born citizen coming in the door to ask for a dishwasher, night clean-up or kitchen prep job. Until that happens — let’s at least try to be honest when discussing this issue.”

Anthony Bourdain was not a politician. He was not a political activist. He was a cook who spent years with Latinx immigrants on food production line in sweltering kitchens. The fact that he spoke up at every opportunity on behalf of immigrant Latinx restaurant workers was motivated by an extremely simple formula: loyalty, plus an extreme aversion to bullshit.

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Bourdain explained his loyalty to Latinx immigrants in Parts Unknown “Season 9 Ep 1: Los Angeles.”

I worked in French and Italian restaurants my whole career, but really, if I think about it, they were Mexican restaurants and Ecuadorian restaurants, because the majority of the cooks and the people working with me were from those countries. That’s who, you know, picked me up when I fell down; who showed me what to do when I walked in and didn’t know anything and nobody knew my name.

Bourdain proved that you didn’t have to master the nuances of immigration policy or have a degree in political science to have the courage to defend undocumented immigrants. He saw his crew being persecuted and criminalized and he wasn’t willing to ignore that for the approval of the culinary establishment. As a wealthy white man, he didn’t even pay a price for it, so culinary industry elite, take note.

In the days following his death, social media and blogs were flooded with people of color grieving and honoring him. Why was he so loved for doing something so simple? Because the stakes are life and death, and almost no one else in a position of power, especially a white man, will stand with us. Activists working to help undocumented immigrants are everyday, mostly Latinx people with the courage to stand up to the dominant culture in America. Around the country, they have formed rapid response teams to respond to ICE raids, raise money to bail people out of immigrant prisons, and look after the families whose loved ones have been deported. And for their trouble, they receive racist hate mail, death threats and a deafening silence from the political establishment.

Almost no one else in a position of power, especially a white man, will stand with us.
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Democratic politicians spout the same misleading, toxic catchphrases as everyone else. Undocumented immigrants shouldn’t cut in line (as though there are any orderly lines for immigration paperwork, much less ones they are allowed into). Undocumented immigrants must avoid criminality (turns out they do a better job of that than native born Americans.) Democratic politicians have done the math. By speaking up to tell the truth about undocumented immigrants they are taking a risk. They calculate what they will gain, factoring in the lower rate of voting and political donations of the Latinx community. They correctly assume that with Republicans literally advocating for policies that kill our loved ones, we have nowhere else to go. A red Trump hat is hate speech in a Mexican restaurant. So for Democrats, the math always comes out the same. Silence at best. Status quo at worst. As a result, the Trump message of fear and bigotry carries the day, and the Democrats get our support no matter what.

But the food industry is in a unique position. As a wealthy white man, Bourdain didn’t pay a price for speaking out. If anything it burnished his reputation as a fearless teller of truth. So not only do privileged people in the culinary industry not have plausible deniability, they have nothing to lose.

Bourdain was criticized in some corners for being too political. When a person of privilege would like to gingerly step around the bleeding body of a person of color, they say that defending them is ‘too political.” But Anthony Bourdain didn’t step around the bodies of his friends. And he wasn’t someone you silenced.

I can attest to the truth of everything he said. I have spent decades looking for the truth about the dystopian and horrifying ways that America treats undocumented immigrants. I have worked in restaurants, studied politics in academia, worked on Capitol Hill, and bore witness to the lives of my undocumented family and friends. The truth is this: America has deliberately and strategically created an underclass of undocumented immigrants by targeting certain types of immigrants for criminalization. You don’t have to understand immigration policy to see that. Twenty million people, the vast majority of whom are people of color, don’t just get up and say ‘You know what? Screw economic stability, family unity, and safety, I’m gonna be undocumented.’ Twenty million people constitute an underclass purposefully created and steadfastly maintained by the white power structure. Despots need fear to maintain power. Fear needs a scapegoat. Undocumented immigrants cannot defend themselves, so scapegoating them is the perfect crime.

What I’m saying is, we could really use a hand here. And people in the food industry — Food Network executives, celebrity chefs, food award foundations, food bloggers, food related charities, should be the first ones to stand up. Anthony Bourdain did everything he could in his tragically abbreviated life. He stood with us. But he is gone now. We need powerful allies more than ever.

Trump didn’t invent deportation. He didn’t even invent ICE. But he has made life more terrifying and more dangerous for all immigrants and anyone who loves them. His dehumanizing rhetoric harks back to genocidal heads of state.

It gives everyone from ICE agents, border patrol officers, and school yard bullies license to racially profile and harm people with impunity. He is currently suing California for trying to defend its communities against his illegal and unconstitutional power grabs.

He is carrying out increased mass deportations proudly, and increased the number of non-criminal deportations significantly.

People in the food industry should be the first ones to stand up.
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And since Latinx immigrants are the reason the squeezed middle class can buy produce or eat out on a weekend, since they trained and made possible the career of every famous cook in America, I challenge every person in the food industry to step up now.

Here is the plan, food industry titans — people who have made their fortunes making and talking about food. Here is what we expect of you from now on. Let’s call it the Bourdain doctrine:

When you hear hateful rhetoric, stand up to it. I want to see Rachel Ray in a ‘no human is illegal’ t-shirt.

Demand action from your government. You know, the one that listens to you and not us?

Demand rational, comprehensive, immigration reform now.

Demand the closure of immigrant prisons.

Demand ICE be abolished.

And when the political establishment drags its feet like it always does, that is not the moment in which you shrug your shoulders and say you did everything you could.

It is time for you to pony up money for legal assistance and bail money.

It is time for you to create health care funds, since undocumented immigrants cannot access health insurance.

It is time for you to publicly shame the government for separating families and terrorizing children.

It is time for you to walk your happy ass up to the state capitol where you live, and demand that the state government to do anything they can to protect your employees.

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And if you are a restaurant owner, know your rights. When ICE shows up to your restaurant to raid the place, you need to be prepared. Don’t let them do a single solitary thing they aren’t legally allowed to do. If your staff did something criminal, it wouldn’t be ICE visiting you, it would be the police. Your staff are being picked up and incarcerated for coming to work. And you are the one that hired them with the full knowledge of their status, so you damn well know that. In the words of Anthony Bourdain, let’s at least try to be honest.

As the tributes have poured in for Anthony Bourdain, I see many of the same people he excoriated, claiming to have respected him. So let’s test out that hypothesis. We all know that Anthony Bourdain hated lip service. He despised posturing. Anyone who claims to have loved him or shared his values must pick up where he left off. Latinxs in the food industry lost our most passionate champion in the elite culinary establishment. Who is going to step into the void?

Loyalty and truth. That’s all it takes.

By Mala Muñoz

TW: Sexual assault, sexual violence, rape

If you grew up Latinx in the United States, you might have spent your most formative years going to church with your abuelita — not talking openly about sex or relationships with your parents.

I was raised in a very Catholic, Mexican-American family.

My Catholic school education included lectures by religion teachers about the dangers of sharing a blanket with someone of a different gender, saving your virginity for Christ, and having our skirts measured in front of the entire class.

Outside of warnings, admonitions, or abstinence-only lectures, my experience learning about sexuality was defined by deafening silence.

As a girl, I learned the world was dangerous for me. I experienced street harassment and sexualization from a young age. The specters of rape and kidnapping were ever-present.

My friends and I were aware that we were vulnerable to being harmed. We experienced sexually aggressive or harassing behavior from adults, adolescent men, and young boys alike — an experience shared by many Latinas and women of color across the United States.

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The informal lessons that Latinx youth are sometimes taught about sex and sexual violence often rely on now disproven myths about rape.

We were taught we should be most careful around strangers, that family is where we are safest, and that the assaulted girls we heard about on the news or by word of mouth were somehow to blame for sex that was forced on them.

Why then, did I feel so uncomfortable in my own neighborhood and my own school, around boys and men in my own community? What effect does the constant fear of sexual violence have on Latinas and, in turn, the community as a whole?

In Latinx homes, talks about sex tend to focus on abstaining from sex for as long as possible. And, outside of the home, Latinxs across the country lack access to comprehensive health care, formal sex education, and family planning services.

In Latinx homes, talks about sex tend to focus on abstaining from sex for as long as possible.
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How can we learn about safe sex, healthy relationships, consent, and boundaries if we don’t have these conversations at home, at school, or even through health services?

Often, when Latinxs envision futures free from violence, we fail to see rape and abuse as a crucial part of the problem.

Much of our activism is focused on surviving white supremacy and institutionalized oppression in its many forms — labor struggles, mass detention, xenophobia, gentrification, and police brutality — but our activism does not always discuss our internal struggles with sexual and gender-based violence.

In honor of the Latinx survivors who have spoken — and continue to speak — out against assault, our communities must begin placing sexual and interpersonal violence at the center of our healing work.

Since the biggest battles are often waged at home, it’s important to bring in accessible information about sexual assault and domestic violence that your loved ones may not have known before.

If we are going to do the deep work of liberation, we must start with ourselves and the people we love most: our chosen and biological families.

But how do we begin to have these difficult conversations?

Myth Busting

Myth-busting and local involvement are two great ways to begin the conversation about sexual violence with your Latinx family and community.

I have memories of seeing stories of missing, murdered, or assaulted muxeres on the news and hearing victim-blaming comments from reporters, law enforcement, or family watching the programming.

It can be frustrating to hear victim blaming or rape apologist language and not having the right words to say. But talking about the realities of sexual violence and modeling supportive language for survivors in front of Latinx friends and family helps introduce new knowledge around these issues.

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Here are 10 common myths and misconceptions about sexual violence that I’ve heard from my Latinx family, friends, community, and clients, and some ideas for how to respond:

1. Myth: Rapists are strange men who attack women in dark alleys and parking lots.

Reality: The majority of sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone that the survivor knows and take place in familiar environments. Attackers can be people that we trust and are comfortable being alone with, such as family members, romantic partners, friends, coaches, classmates, and trusted leaders in the community.

2. Myth: Only adult men can commit sexual assault.

Reality: Although the majority of sexual assaults are committed by cisgender heterosexual men, harm-doers can be of any gender, race, or ethnicity; ANYONE can be a victim or a perpetrator of sexual violence.

3. Myth: Women and girls that get raped were probably “flirting” or “asking for it”.

Reality: Nobody asks to be sexually assaulted. When we blame survivors for the assault perpetrated against them, we take responsibility away from the attacker. A consequence of machismo, muxeres are often held responsible for the actions of men.

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4. Myth: Abused children don’t need to talk about what happened to them. Children will forget and therapy further traumatizes them.

Reality: Latinx parents of abused children sometimes believe that their children do not need to talk about the abuse because they are too young to understand what happened to them. Unfortunately, many child survivors of sexual abuse do not receive services because of these beliefs. And yet, studies show that abused children are more likely to develop mental health problems later in life, especially if they don’t get the help they need.

5. Myth: Men and boys cannot be abused or assaulted.

Reality: ANYONE can be a victim of sexual abuse or assault. It is estimated that 1 out of every 6 men has survived sexual abuse or assault in their lifetime. Because of social stigma around sexual assault, homophobia — due to machismo — Latino survivors of assault are less likely to disclose what happened to them or seek out help.

Because of social stigma around sexual assault, homophobia — due to machismo — Latino survivors of assault are less likely to disclose what happened to them or seek out help.
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6. Myth: She deserved to be assaulted because she’s a “puta” or “cualquiera.”

Reality: Slut shaming is violence. No one deserves to be abused or assaulted, and referring to someone as a slut, hoe, puta or cualquiera suggests that she has no boundaries, no autonomy, and does not have the right to say no to sex no matter the circumstances. Too often in Latinx families, especially highly religious ones, when women have sex outside of marriage or engage in casual sex, they are seen as sexually and morally deviant and undeserving of love, care, or protection.

7. Myth: Survivors exaggerate and lie about rape.

Reality: When Latinx survivors try to disclose abuse or assault, they are sometimes told that they are lying, exaggerating, or imagining things. The reality is that survivors very rarely lie about abuse or assault. The rate of false reporting for sexual assault is the same as every other crime: approximately 2%.

8. Myth: Children don’t know enough about sex to commit sexual assault.

Reality: More than one-third of childhood sexual abuse is committed by another child under the age of 18. When children abuse other children it is usually because that perpetrating child was also harmed or abused in the past. In my work as a sexual assault advocate, I have worked with several Latinx children who had been molested by a cousin, classmate, or sibling.

More than one-third of childhood sexual abuse is committed by another child under the age of 18.
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9. Myth: We are safest when we are with our families or communities.

Reality: Unfortunately, homes and community spaces are sometimes where people face the most abuse. We repeatedly see families and communities rallying around abusers to protect them from negative consequences while ignoring or dismissing the safety of survivors.

When we shield attackers from accountability or consequences, we also push survivors out of their positions within their families, schools, and communities. Sometimes, survivors are pushed out and abusers are embraced under the guise of “keeping the family together.”

10. Myth: Sexual assault happens in isolation.

Reality: Sexual violence often intersects with other forms of violence and oppression. Immigrant muxeres have often spoken out against the sexual violence they face at work and have led struggles against workplace sexual violence. Fights against labor inequality, xenophobia, and mass incarceration should always include tackling sexual violence as a crucial component of liberation from oppressive systems.

In addition to talking to our families and communities about the myths and realities of sexual violence, there are other ways to get involved and directly help survivors to heal.

If you are interested in joining the fight to end sexual violence in Latinx communities, here are 5 ways that you can get involved:

Get Involved

1. Student Activism

If you are in school, look for opportunities to do projects and research related to sexual violence. Sexual assault continues to be one of the most underreported crimes in the United States and there is still limited information about how sexual violence plays out, especially in Latinx and immigrant communities.

Sexual assault continues to be one of the most underreported crimes in the United States.
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It’s important for us to know as much as possible about the particularities of sexual violence in our communities, and learning more can make a big difference.

2. Volunteer

If you are interested in volunteering to work directly with survivors and community members, there are a number of different volunteer programs that exist across the country. And since many Latinxs in the U.S. are bilingual, our language skills can be invaluable and we can help both Spanish and English-speaking survivors of violence.

Crisis hotlines are always in need of multilingual counselors and advocates to help survivors find emergency shelter, seek out restraining orders, create safety plans, and so much more. Contact your local rape crisis center or domestic violence agency; many agencies have opportunities to volunteer on a crisis hotline, as an advocate, and as community health educators.

3. Speak up

If you are concerned about sexual violence in your community, check out local neighborhood meetings, collectives, civic groups and voice your concerns. Find out when your City Council meets, attend School Board Meetings, and make sexual violence a topic of concern.

4. Vote

Keep up with your local politics. If you are old enough to vote, you can choose to use your vote in order to support legislation which allocates more funding to services for survivors.

5. Donate

Consider giving money directly to survivors you know who need help getting back on their feet. Survivors of sexual violence often face huge financial barriers. Assault and abuse can actually be very costly and place survivors in economic hardship — contrary to popular belief, there is no money to be gained by reporting assault.

You can also choose to donate to your local crisis hotline, rape crisis center, or domestic violence shelter if you would like to support healing resources for survivors.

It is my firm belief that community healing, success, and liberation will not be possible for Latinxs while community members are subjected to rampant sexual and interpersonal violence.

Engaging in open and educational dialogues with our families and friends about the myths and realities of sexual violence can be difficult, but it is also a giant step towards healing.

By encouraging support for survivors and accountability for harm doers, we create an understanding that the lives of vulnerable and marginalized folks are not disposable.

When survivors thrive, so too can their communities.