Food preference of Nigerian immigrants in Thessaloniki (Greece) and national/ethnical identity affirmation

Abstract

The case of Nigerians food preference in Thessaloniki was examined in this paper in order to infer any affinity for cultural affirmation. According to Berry acculturation model, an immigrant in a new culture is likely to experience a cultural diffusion. Phinney in its theory of identity formation, identifies three phases of identity search for immigrants. Interestingly, an important aspect of the research is that for peculiar economic reasons in Thessaloniki, Greece; some variables such as education, age, pre travel age did not respond to the dependent factors as expected. This therefore confirms the complexity of determining of identity affirmation through behavioral variables, which as confirmed in the literature have research outcomes that barely seems articulate. There are many reasons attributable to the differences: variation in individuals, countries, race, ethnicity and fluidity of human behavior. Finally, the study was able to open up a question that will the behavioral factor of acculturation that are required to test identity construct behave the same under severe economic depression as it is in Thessaloniki, Greece. The paper has examine food as a symbol of identity, fluidity of culture, the African food culture, the Greek food culture, food metaphor.