No extensive study of the dietary practices of the different groups,
either here or in the old country, has been undertaken, but
considerable evidence has been secured in substantiation of the fact
that their old-country practices are being modified in this country.
This is not being done consciously in response to dietetic
requirements, but often blindly in response to what seem to be
American customs or necessities. There has been some conflict of
testimony with regard to the changes in the Czecho-Slovak and Croatian
groups. The Italians are said by all to have made very slight changes
in their diet in this country. The Lithuanians, Poles, Russians, and
Ukrainians, on the other hand, are said to have made very radical
changes.
The modification that is spoken of most frequently and that is of
gravest concern to many of their leaders, is the increased use of
meat. Attention has already been called to the explanation of this in
the fact that the price of meat was prohibitive at home, and that
fruit, vegetables, and dairy products were enjoyed without expenditure
of money. The large number of stores in which meat is offered for
sale, although undoubtedly reflecting the general wishes of the
group, offers constant suggestion to the individual purchaser to buy
meat. The naïve belief that much meat must be eaten by men doing
manual labor is said to be another factor.
Excessive use of coffee is said by visiting housekeepers and others
familiar with dietetic problems to be one of the most serious faults
of the diet of many groups, especially the Slavic groups. It is a
general custom to put the coffee pot on the stove in the morning and
leave it there all day for any member of the family to help himself to
coffee when he wants it. This is entirely a new habit which has been
learned in America, as coffee was almost unknown in the poorer groups
in the old country. One explanation that was given by a foreign-born
woman was that these families were used to a diet of soup at home, and
that as they gave this up in this country they felt the need of some
liquid to replace it. One Polish woman who was asked if she had
changed her diet in this country, replied, "Naturally, at home
everyone had soup for breakfast, and here everyone has coffee and
bread."
Another change that was reported over and over again was the use of
more cakes and sweet rolls. This seemed to be considered a peculiarly
American change, as was evidenced by the families who reported that
they had not changed their diet, as they didn't like the American
diet of cakes. Some of them, indeed, were very scornful of what they
considered the American diet, saying among other things that they
could not afford to eat steak and chops every day, that they did not
like sweets, that their "men" would not eat "out of a can," that they
did not like fried things. Their ideas of American diet were gained in
part from the food in restaurants, in part from what the children
learned in cooking lessons in school, and in part from general
suggestions that they have picked up.
Undoubtedly misguided social workers who have tried to give advice on
diet without themselves knowing much about it, are responsible for
some of these ideas. In a certain mill town in Massachusetts, for
example, a social worker employed by the mill discovered what she
thought was the cause of the paper falling off the walls in the fact
that the people boiled their food. She therefore went in and taught
them to fry meat and other foodstuffs.
The problem of how far the immigrant groups should be encouraged to
modify their diet can be determined only after a careful study of
their dietary practices. The price and quality of food available to
immigrants must be ascertained. Their habits, customs, and preferences
must be thoroughly understood. There can be no question, however, that
help should be given them in making the modifications required by the
changed environment.
There have been a number of suggestions of the best way to accomplish
this. Visiting housekeepers or visiting dietitians have been suggested
and will be discussed later. It is highly probable that help must
first be given to immigrant women in their homes before they can be
persuaded to attend any classes or demonstrations outside of their
homes. They must gradually be persuaded to take advantage of the help
obtainable in this way.
That the whole problem of diets suited to special needs of people is
being considered is evidenced by the fact that it has been suggested
that food be sold by units of energy value. Dr. Graham Lusk, for
example, proposed at a time of great distress in New York that the
Health Commissioner attempt to persuade grocers to prepare "Board of
Health baskets" which would provide 10,000 calories daily for a family
of five at a minimum cost.[37] The United States Commissioner of Labor
indorses the idea in the following words, "There are no insuperable
obstacles in the way of selling bread, beef, pork, eggs, milk,
cabbage, onions, corn, sugar--by the 100 or 1,000 calories."[38]
Professor Murlin has advocated that manufacturers be compelled to
place on food containers the calorie content of the package.
If such a plan could be worked out, the dietetic virtues and
weaknesses of the different groups could serve as a basis for the
special form in which foodstuffs were marketed in different areas. Any
such project as applied to the foreign born is far from
accomplishment. It is suggestive of a new attitude which does not
continue to leave the matter of diet to chance.