Overview

Blends memoir and history to explore the role of Punjabi food in fostering community and identity among South Asian refugees and immigrants. Safar: Finding Home, History, and Culture through Punjabi Food in the American West follows the journey of South Asian refugees, immigrants, and their children—in particular, Sikhs, Jats, and Muslims—who moved to the southwestern states of America over centuries as farmers, truck drivers, restaurant owners, and dhaba/diner stall cooks. An expedition in search of the asli—or real Punjabi food—Madhushree Ghosh explores how their food traveled from pre-partition British India to now, while weaving in her own immigrant journey as a graduate student to America in 1993, her quest to find home through the food of her Bengali refugee parents, and the physical journey she embarked on to visit the Punjabi communities in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Focusing on four Punjabi women, each a part of a different immigration wave of South Asia to the American West, Ghosh highlights the food and recipes they brought with them that connect them to their pasts. Safar shares stories of displacement, discrimination, community, and hope, while shedding light on immigrant journeys and the true meaning of home, comfort food, and what constitutes a “true Punjabi” meal. Featuring essential recipes, this is a poignant reflection on what it means to find home and identity through food and culture as an immigrant to the United States.

Full Product Details

Author:   Madhushree Ghosh (author)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
Dimensions:   Width: 16.00cm , Height: 2.20cm , Length: 23.20cm
Weight:   0.540kg
ISBN:  

9798881842673

Pages:   264
Publication Date:   11 June 2026
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Author’s Note Part 1: Why We Travel Chapter 1: Why We Travel and How This Happened Chapter 2: What Makes a Sikh? Chapter 3: The Safar, The Journey Part 2: The First Wave: Sheila, The Punjabi-Mexican Daughter of Pioneers Chapter 4: Brown Marriages and the Food They Created Chapter 5: A Lot of Laws Chapter 6: Sheila, Daughter of The First Wave Chapter 7: But What About the Japanese? Chapter 8: Sheila in Arizona Chapter 9: Sheila, The Indian Chapter 10: Sheila, The Student Chapter 11: Sheila, The Home-Maker Chapter 12: Sheila, The Pie-Maker Chapter 13: Sheila, Now Part 3: The Second Wave: The Gurdwara, The Women Chapter 14: The Second Wave Chapter 15: The Twenty-Six: Who Built The Gurdwara? Chapter 16: Daughter of Second Wave Families Chapter 17: The Quietness of Those Who Leave Part 4: In Between Immigration Waves: The Khalistan Story Chapter 18: Stockton Gurdwara: Of Religion, Revolution & Community Chapter 19: The Bhindranwale Story: A Terrorist? A Saint? Chapter 20: Indira and The Sikh Genocide Chapter 21: Khalistan, the Idea: Now What? Part 5: The Third Wave, Jassi, the Amritdhari, Ajit’s Mother Chapter 22: Diwali and The Face of Punjabi Tandoor: Jassi Chapter 23: Jassi, Now Chapter 24: Jassi, The Third Wave Immigrant Part 6: On Truckers, Dhabas, & Those Who Changed Central Valley California, Uma Devi Chapter 25: Dhabas, A Love Story Chapter 26: The Sikh Age Chapter 27: The Third Wave, Now Part 7: The Safar, The Journey, And Now Chapter 28: And Now Chapter 29: London, Our People, and Our Safar Notes Index About the Author

Reviews

Too often, when recounting our community's journey to America, we overlook their everyday experiences. Safar beautifully shows how generations of Sikhs—and Sikh women in particular—have made their homes in North America and have stayed connected to their ancestors and to their homelands in Punjab through food, culture, tradition, all while building an inclusive community. -- National Bestselling Author, ""The Light We Give""

Author Information

Madhushree Ghosh, the author of the award-winning KHABAAR, has been published in 2023 Best American Essays in Food Writing and Pushcart-nominated with work in The New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, LitHub, and more. She gave a TEDx talk highlighting East African women refugee farmers of San Diego. A Southern California resident, Madhushree can be reached at @writemadhushree.

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