Refugees taught how to eat American food

BBC News ^ | 7.31.2006 | Ian Brimacombe

[World_Events]

How much is in a serving? "This guy is overweight," she says, explaining that this is because he eats too much fast food and drinks cola.

"And guess what happens?" she asks. "Inside his body there are lots of problems."

At a table, a dozen or so refugees - most of them from Africa - sit and nod. Some smile and chat among themselves. They appear to get the picture.

This workshop on how to eat American food responsibly is part of an Illinois state-funded programme to improve the nutrition of refugees who are being re-settled in the land of plenty.

"First we are most concerned about whether they will understand how to eat American food," says Shana Willis, with the non-profit refugee resettlement agency Heartland, one of the project co-ordinators.

"They did not only not understand how to eat American food, but they went immediately to the junk food and it was then that we realised, this is going to have a much more important impact than we anticipated."

Culture shock

One of the major challenges for organisers is to change the way the refugees think about food. Many of the new arrivals suffered from malnutrition and came from places where food was scarce.

I have been here just a few months and its very disorientating... Where will I find dates to break my Ramadan fasting? And, where do I get halal goat meat?

And there is plain culture shock.

"I have been here just a few months and its very disorientating," says one man through a translator. "Where will I find dates to break my Ramadan fasting? And, where do I get halal goat meat?"

In mid-western Chicago, the answer is not obvious.

[weegee]

The socialists find it their duty to dictate to others how to live.

On this, the jihadists agree.

[weegee]

American dining education in Chicago:

Ordering at the Billy Goat may go something like this: "Cheezborger! Cheezborger! You want doublecheez?!? Who's next!?! WHO'S NEXT!?!" If you take more than one second to answer: "Don't look at the menu, look at ME! I order for you - DOUBLECHEEZ!" If you only feel like a single: "No. DOUBLECHEEZ!!!" If it's the end of the week: "It's Friday, doublecheez for everybody! It's payday! Triplecheez for the big guy!" Want French fries with that? "No fries - CHEEPS!" Thirsty? "No Pepsi - COKE!" To drink: "Coke or Diet?!"

Such rantings by the Billy Goat staff have gone on for almost 40 years and originated when Billy Goat Sianis and another Greek immigrant by the name of Bill Charuchas would entertain patrons by yelling out: "Try the double cheese! It's the best! No fries, cheeps!" In the 1978, Sam Sianis and Charuchas were immortalized by Saturday Night Live's John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Loraine Newman. The sketch was originally written by Don Novello (of Father Guido Sarducci fame) when he was an advertising copywriter in Chicago. John Belushi and Bill Murray knew the Billy Goat from their Second City days, and the rest is history. As a result, the Billy Goat Tavern achieved national infamy. When in Chicago, Don Novello and Bill Murray still come by and visit Sam and the Billy Goat staff and have their "Doublecheezborger"!

[MalikDelosReyes]

Sure it is a nice interest story...but why exactly are we going to this much trouble? To make some politicians feel good by playing God?

[MalikDelosReyes]

On second thought, it is much more simpler than that. Witness the perfect Democratic citizen. Helpless and completely reliant on the government and his liberal betters.

[AppyPappy]

Yeah but they are too close to the Neese's plant

[ZULU]

"Where will I find dates to break my Ramadan fasting? And, where do I get halal goat meat? "

I have a few suggestions, but they would get me banned.

[from occupied ga]

This workshop on how to eat American food responsibly is part of an Illinois state-funded programme to improve the nutrition of refugees who are being re-settled in the land of plenty.

YES!! Keep out responsible productive immigrants and open the floodgates for human debris that doesn't even know enough as to how to eat - What a wonderful waste of taxpayer money! I wonder how many state employees are getting their trotters in the public trough on this one.

Some smile and chat among themselves. They appear to get the picture.

Yep and the picture is one where the hardworking taxpayers will provide everything for you. Why work?

[headstamp]

No fries!.....Chips

[madison10]

"And, where do I get halal goat meat?"

Dearborn, Michigan

[ClearBlueSky]

OH now-- lets be helpful. The answer is obvious for these poor SOB's.
You get dates, and goat meat, and rocks for stoning women, and bomb belts for your babies in any number of MUSLIM PARADISE COUNTRIES!
Pick one- and stay there.Why would you want to leave one anyway?
We don't do the 12th century here.

[gubamyster]

ping

[dalereed]

Quit letting "refugees" in here, make them stay in the country that every one of them is partially responsible for getting it into the situation that they are fleeing.

I don't buy this refugee BS at all.

[janetgreen]

Now we have to pay to teach them how to eat?

This is just another ridiculous episode in this government's insane raid on American taxpayers for the benefit of foreign interests.

I'll vote Constitution Party from now on. The inmates are running the asylum.

[dennisw]

We should be bringing in more Europeans and stop bringing in Muslim refugees like these ill educated Somalis. They get into fights when they live with American blacks

[John Jorsett]

Ok, I'm going to take an unpopular position: this sounds like it's probably a good idea. I remember reading an article a few years ago about many inner-city dwellers having such bad diets that they were contracting nutritional-deficiency diseases like scurvy and beriberi. Markets in those areas wouldn't stock fresh produce because it would rot before anyone bought it. The costs of a class on how to avoid malnutrition can't be that high, and if it helps prevent these kinds of problems (and the people showing up in emergency rooms for treatment) then I say go for it. Of course, it would make sense to follow up and see if it really does some good; if not, discontinue the program.

[mtbopfuyn]

I have been here just a few months and its very disorientating... Where will I find dates to break my Ramadan fasting? And, where do I get halal goat meat?

Africa would be a good place to start.

[Petruchio]

Where will I find dates to break my Ramadan fasting?

eharmony.com ?

[NewRomeTacitus]

Dearborn, MI

LOL! You gotta' lose your mind in Detroit's, Mecca City!

Seriously though, who is forcing these Muslims here as "refugees"? Since we know it's not Christians I can only assume it's the old Sunni vs. Shiite crap. If that's the case these people shouldn't be allowed here as refugees at all.

[MarkL]

[an old convict and H.I. lying on their prison bunks, passing the time]
Ear-Bending Cellmate: ...and when there was no meat, we ate fowl and when there was no fowl, we ate crawdad and when there was no crawdad to be found, we ate sand.
H.I.: You ate what?
Ear-Bending Cellmate: We ate sand.
[pause]
H.I.: You ate SAND?
Ear-Bending Cellmate: That's right!

Mark

[neutrino]

Where will I find dates to break my Ramadan fasting?

In the meat department - under the label "pork". That's the special American spelling for dates.