Food and Identity in Modern America, Part 6: Conclusion and a Call to Action

Understanding of and involvement in the genesis of the food one eats shapes an individual’s identity by forming relationships between the individual and other people, ancestry and cultural heritage, and place. Distortion of these food-based relationships in mainstream American food systems muddles identity. Eating alone and on the run, the consumer is rarely aware of the ingredients in her meal. She gives no thought to cultural or historical associations, the place of origin, grower, conditions, or process of production or preparation of her food. She makes no attempt to understand and use food as a medium to engage the other and thereby develop her own identity. Her identity is obscured by her reduced awareness of her limits, context, and relationship to the other in the categories discussed above and by the limited extent to which she incorporates these into her understanding of self.

            If we are to preserve a strong sense of individual and collective identity, Americans can no longer afford to “let food take a back seat” (Steel 5). It is imperative that Americans take a more active role in their relationship to food in order to preserve the relationships that food mediates. As we choose to devote time and attention to understanding where our food comes from in every sense—biologically, geographically, culturally, and otherwise—we will develop stronger, clearer personal identities and create a vibrant food culture through which we can connect to other people, to heritage, and to the places where we live and eat. We will understand our food better as we engage it on every level, from seed to plate. Instead of heating up a TV dinner in the microwave or grabbing a burger to go, take the time to cook a meal with your family. Use fresh ingredients. Get familiar with what is grown in your area. Visit your local farmer’s market. Make friends with the farmers and ask them to show you their fields. Talk to your ancestors about foods they used to eat. Create food traditions and pass them down to your kids.  These and other activities can help us to better understand not only what we are eating but, by extension, who we are.