It is often said that the history of immigration is the history of cuisine. Certainly, in the United States, we would still be eating only oysters and beef scrap pies had our country not opened its doors to the millions of Europeans fleeing famine, pogroms, and economic hardships over the last 150 years. America owes its culinary cornucopia to migration. As a nation, we are the beneficiaries of these cuisines – bagels, pizza, and even the humble hot dog that took on a distinctly American touch with a bun that made it portable for people working 12-hour factory shifts.

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