Thursday, February 29th, 2024, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM, via Zoom
Mahtab Sirdani’s presentation, titled “Food Rituals: Marginality and Hospitality of Muslim Migrants,” explores an anthropological study of religious food rituals. She delves into the significance of such rituals in the lives of Muslim Iranian migrants in North America and explores how these rituals provide coping strategies and foster hope for a good life in the host society. Taking an existential-phenomenological approach, she attempts to unveil a new dimension to these rituals, transcending subjective inquiries such as belonging, agency, and nostalgia. By presenting ethnographic examples and individuals’ narratives, Mahtab highlights the transformative power of participating in food rituals, uncovering new dimensions of hope and the ways in which new possibilities appear in migrants’ lives.