As immigrant populations became more assimilated into mainstream American culture, food culture became a major example of how ethnicities lost their exclusivity and reflects Michigan’s migrant heritage. With the significance of organized ethnic institutions lessening and the downfall of fluency in ancestral languages, food exists as a means of maintaining connections to a culture largely removed from daily life. Furthermore, enjoying delicacies commonly associated with a specific culture is something that can be enjoyed by anyone. For example, one need not be Polish to enjoy a paczki, nor would someone need to practice Kosher dietary laws to dine at a Jewish deli.
