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 Ukrainian Refugee and a Supportive Community Meet Polina Frishko, a recent Ukrainian refugee working to make a life for herself and her son, Damir, in Hartsville, SC. Continue
A Nepalese-Bhutanese Refugee Making History Lidia travels to Reynoldsburg, OH, to meet Bhuwan Pyakurel, the country’s first elected Nepali-Bhutanese official.Continue
Starting Again in Louisville, Kentucky Marcos Lorenzo is on a mission to make guests at his restaurants feel like they’ve been transported to Cuba!Continue
Punjabi Trucker turned Punjabi Dhaba Owner Small roadside restaurants, ubiquitous in India and Pakistan, have started popping up along major interstate highways.Continue
The Blind Chef Searching for her Mother’s Recipes Christine Ha re-creates her mother’s dishes, using Vietnamese cookbooks, her father’s memories, and her own exceptional sense of taste. Continue
This Afghan Immigrant Risked His Life for a Better Afghanistan Learn more about Khalil Arab, who was targeted for his work as an interpreter with the United States military.Continue

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