The Migrant Chef by Laura Tillman

This is a welcome break from the chef-hero book (which is not my favorite, I will admit right off the bat--I prefer the grittier versions of a rags to fame stories)--Lalo Garcia is a great story of who crosses the US-Mexico border and why. The author originally wanted to learn more about the experiences of the cooks, servers, and dishwashers who served Mexico’s elite amid the nation’s widening wealth gap at Máximo Bistrot, a fine dining restaurant in Mexico City. But when chef Lalo García came to the phone, he offered her something else: his experiences of midnight border crossings, migrant field work, imprisonment, deportation, and an unprecedented rise from being a dishwasher in Atlanta to becoming one of Mexico’s most respected culinary talents. And it is just that wild a ride. García’s grandfather began migrant work under the Bracero Program, which permitted Mexican men to work in the U.S. on short-term contracts. Years later, after Bracero ended, García’s father, Lupe, started migrant farm work and was eventually able to earn a green card under President Ronald Reagan’s amnesty for agricultural workers. García was still a boy when he joined his father on the trail from rural Mexico to work on farms between Florida and Michigan, gathering fruit as the seasons flowed from April to November. As a teenager, after his family had settled in Georgia, García turned to restaurant work. His dexterity and speed honed in the fields shone while washing dishes and prepping food, earning accolades from cooks and gradually securing his place on the line. He earned enough money to buy fashionable clothes and a brand-new Mustang. But in a moment of youthful impetuosity, he drove the getaway car for a robbery and was caught. After serving a prison sentence, he was deported to his grandparents’ home in Mexico. He does return to the US when his father is dying but he realizes that the future is much brighter for him in Mexico. He has a lot of foibles, he is bad boyfriend material, but he is a talented chef and someone who treats his staff with respect. This story is worth knowing, and it made me want to spend a week eating in Mexico City before too long.