School of Social and Political Science

Description

The West London Gateway and the Making of the Migration Menu examines the intersections of migration, food, and placemaking in West London, focusing on South Asian diasporas. Drawing on ethnographic work along the Uxbridge Road and surrounding areas, the paper highlights how diaspora restaurateurs create spaces that sustain local economies and shape the economic and cultural landscape of the city. Central to the analysis is the role of universities, particularly Brunel University, in linking international students to local food businesses. In this paper, we also reflect on the innovative use of podcasting as an ethnographic method; a method which enabled polyvocal engagement, capturing the voices, accents, and lived experiences of participants in ways that written text alone cannot, and offered new insights into the dynamics of urban cultural production.