FLAVORS THAT DEFINE US

Premiered May 30, 2023, on PBS.

Coming to America as a teenager, Lidia Bastianich wanted to become “American” as quickly as possible, learning English and dressing “American” to fit in. But she never lost her connection to Italian culture and food.

A nation of 46 million immigrants, America has often struggled with the question of what it means to be American. Immigrants, faced with the question of how much of their culture to bring and what to leave behind, have shaped the nation’s patchwork quilt of religion, music, and food.

The Stories

From big cities to small towns across America, hear inspiring stories of the first-, second-, and third-generation Americans Lidia meets, forging their own way and shaping the shifting definition of what it means to be American.

   
  • A Table of the WorldTo celebrate the adventures she had making Flavors That Define Us, Lidia organizes a potluck-style meal, in Washington D.C., where immigrants, now new friends, share food that is meaningful to them.Continue
 

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