Negotiating Diaspora Cuisine

Restaurants serving diaspora cuisine are vital cultural and symbolic spaces for the diaspora community, especially in cities heavily influenced by present and historical migration. The owners of these restaurants are placed in key roles to carry out the responsibilities of managing such a space while dealing with their own business endeavours. In pursuit of enriching current studies of gastronomy and the diaspora identity, this thesis examines how the owners of Indonesian restaurants in The Hague have positioned themselves in the diaspora cuisine landscape of the city. To answer the research question, semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with the owners, or their counterparts, of 12 Indonesian restaurants in The Hague that spanned approximately 14 hours. The thematic analysis revealed that these owners do not have full autonomy over their positionalities which have instead been established through a negotiation with their diners, their competitors, structural constraints, and cultural responsibilities based on family legacy and their personal diaspora identity. This negotiation then manifests in a fragile balance of dual identities of being a culinary ambassador for the diaspora cuisine and being a viable entrepreneur, which, when compounded by tensions with other stakeholders, can manifest in an incoherent identity of the diaspora cuisine due to inconsistent representations across the network of restaurants. The ability of the owners to position themselves and represent their cuisine is also hindered by external limitations, such as immigration policies and import regulations. This thesis contributes to existing literature and definitions on diaspora identity and diaspora cuisine, with a particular focus on culinary authenticity, memories, and entrepreneurial strategies. Additionally, this thesis calls for more acknowledgement to be given to the restaurant owners for their key roles in the construction of their diaspora cuisine, and for stronger institutional aid in support of their journey.