Washington, D.C. — Taking a page from the playbook of web series pioneers like Issa Rae (Insecure) or Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chávez (Gentefied), the immigrant community is launching a new cooking competition show titled No Borders, Just Flavors! on YouTube on April 20. [TRAILER] The four-episode series features young people with an immigrant identity, including undocumented immigrants, DACA recipients, and first and second generation immigrants, from all over the country going head-to-head in a family recipe cook-off. Produced by United We Dream—the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the United States —No Borders, Just Flavors! unlocks the power of food to share immigrant stories of joy, pride, and connection that the media often overlooks.
Juanita Monsalve, the show’s Executive Producer and Creative Director, Senior Marketing & Creative Director of United We Dream, said:
“No Borders, Just Flavors! brings immigrant stories to life by centering the voices within the immigrant community itself. Every aspect of the show is intentional. We were deliberate about making a series that features the diversity of the immigrant experience both in front and behind the camera and streaming it on YouTube—a platform where audiences of color go to get authentic stories they can’t find anywhere else that reflect their own lives.
Regardless of whether someone is a recent, second or third generation immigrant, we’re all passionate about our culinary traditions because of the memories and stories that are ingrained in every immigrant family recipe. Food is a source of joy that brings us together despite perceived differences, and it is at the heart of the immigrant identity, which is why No Borders, Just Flavors! makes it the centerpiece of a bigger conversation.”
No Borders, Just Flavors! promises to be a culinary journey like no other. Spanning dishes from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and beyond, it showcases how old family recipes like Betsabe’s Cuban grandfather’s papas rellenas or Shruti’s panchmel dal can help us feel closer to each other as fellow immigrants regardless of nationality or race. It demonstrates how two totally different immigrant communities can come together to have their own version of the same dish. And it showcases the creativity of immigrant cuisine through Yassin’s Egyptian/Tex-Mex fusion dish and Dru’s Chinese-Indonesian salted egg tofu.
