Food and Identity in Modern America, Part 4: Sense of Place

Individuals also form their identity partly from their connection to place. In his chapter entitled “The Sense of Place” from Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Wallace Stegner echoes renowned author and essayist Wendell Berry in saying, “If you don't know where you are … you don't know who you are” (Stegner). Stegner and Berry are two of many authors who affirm the importance of sense of place in the development of a personal identity. Stegner goes so far as to say of his rootless childhood, “Some towns that we lived in were never real to me. They were only the raw material of places, as I was the raw material of a person” (Stegner). For Stegner and many others, sense of place is central to identity development.

Understanding and engaging in the genesis of one’s food helps an individual to develop this sense of place. Kingsolver asserts that the need for a sense of place can be met in part by understanding and engaging in a local food culture. “A food culture is not something that gets sold to people. It arises out of a place, a soil, a climate, a history, a temperament, a collective sense of belonging” (Kingsolver 17). For Kingsolver, a food culture is a reflection of the place from which it springs. It is a method of accessing, engaging, and developing a relationship with that place. In a very real sense, understanding food as coming from a place helps the individual make that place part of him or herself. In The Earth Knows My Name, interviewee Gerard Bentryn relates a conversation he had with a local while surveying in British Columbia that illustrates this point:

“‘Oh, so you’re out in the woods, and you’re learning about this valley.’ He said, ‘I’ve never left this valley. Everything that I eat comes out of this valley. Everybody that I’m related to, all of my family, is buried in this valley. When I eat, I eat the people and the place. I’m made out of Vancouver Island. But look at what you’re eating.’ I said, Yeah?’ and he said, ‘You’re made out of tin cans. Because that’s what you eat out of.’ … We use the phrase ‘We are what we eat,’ but I also think we are where we eat. That’s the thing people miss. This need to be of a place.” (Klindienst 85)

Bentryn here emphasizes the connection between place, food, and identity. Through developing a food-based relationship with a place, a person can develop an identity that is “rooted” in and shaped by that place.

Food and Identity in Modern America, Part 3: Connection to Heritage

Connection to ancestry and heritage allows individuals to understand themselves in the context of a people and a culture. In her introduction to the International Journal for Heritage Studies’ special edition on heritage and identity, scholar Fiona McLean reminds her audience that “it has long been held that heritage has ‘an identity‐conferring status’” (McLean 2006). Her article discusses several levels on which individuals derive their identity from their heritage. Heritage allows the individual to incorporate a national identity into his or her personal identity. By participating in a national identity, the individual is able to understand him or herself in the context of the larger “story” of the nation in which he or she lives. On a non-national level, heritage also places the individual within the story of an ethnicity and a familial line. The individual connects to each of these levels or components of identity through traditions and a feeling of belonging to that particular heritage. This connection allows the person to understand him or herself within the context of that heritage and incorporate it into his or her personal identity.

Understanding food’s ancestral and cultural origins and significance develops identity by connecting an individual to a heritage or a people. Individuals connect to their memories and heritage through eating the food associated with them. Different cultures often have traditional foods that bear special significance for their participants. For example, some countries relate their traditional foods to their national identities in phrases like “as American as apple pie” or “tan tico como el gallo pinto,” which is Spanish for “as Costa Rican as gallo pinto (the traditional breakfast dish of beans and rice).” In Mexico, special events such as weddings and quinceñeras are nearly always celebrated with mole (pronounced [mo’-lay]). Because it is traditionally eaten in these settings, the dish has developed a special significance for people of this culture. Use and understanding of foods in their traditional cultural context connects an individual to the culture and heritage from which they come.

The sum of all food traditions, customs, and meanings within a culture make up a distinctive “food culture,” and participation in a strong food culture helps shape personal identity. One of the most commonly cited examples of a thriving food culture is that of the Italians. In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver writes, “It’s my observation that when Italian genes are present, all others duck and cover. … After arriving on the ancestral soil I figured out pretty quickly why that heritage swamps all competition. It’s a culture that sweeps you in, sits you down in the kitchen, and feeds you so well you really don’t want to leave” (Kingsolver 243). According to Kingsolver, relationship with food in a strong food culture causes individuals to develop a strong sense of cultural identity. In her book The Earth Knows My Name, American Book Award winner Patricia Klindienst echoes these ideas using another example drawn from Italian food culture. The Pellegrinis are an Italian-American family for whom food signifies a deep cultural connection. Klindienst writes, “Food is not about fashion for the Pellegrinis; it answers a hunger for continuity. Food is a form of deep memory. Through food they are linked to their native landscape, to its soil, its water, and its trees” (Klindienst 145). Understanding the food one eats as coming from a specific ancestry or culture causes an individual to understand himself or herself within that context and incorporate that culture into his or her personal identity.

Food and Identity in Modern America, Part 2: Interpersonal Relationships

Individuals use food to develop interpersonal relationships that build their own identities. As food is a universally shared human need, individuals can grow together around the food they eat. When people deepen their understanding of and participate in the genesis of their food, families and friends can deepen their relationships as they grow, choose, cook, and eat their food together. One of the most important examples of this process occurs within the context of the family. In her book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, acclaimed author Barbara Kingsolver highlights the gathering of families around food and the identities they develop through this interaction. She writes, “The choreography of many people working in one kitchen is, by itself, a certain definition of family, after people have made their separate ways home to be together” (Kingsolver 130). Through engaging food together, Kingsolver says, individuals develop an identity as a family. She emphasizes the vital role food plays in family relationships when she says:

Some of my happiest family memories involve making and eating elaborate meals for special occasions. Food turns events into celebrations. It’s not just about the food, but the experience of creating and then consuming it. People need families and communities for this kind of experience. Kids need parents, or some kind of guide, to lead them toward the food routines our bodies need. Becoming familiar with the process of food production generates both respect and a greater sense of calm about the whole idea of dinner.

(Kingsolver 292-3, italics added)

Here Kingsolver stresses the benefits of understanding and participating in the genesis of food to developing family roles (parent-child, etc) and the identities that come from them. As individuals gather around the production and consumption of food, they strengthen the relationships by which they define themselves.

Food and Identity in Modern America, Part 1

“Men are made of what is made,

The meat, the drink, the life, the corn,

Laid up by them, in them reborn.”

-Edwin Muir

 

The common English adage “you are what you eat” is by no means a new idea. In the early 1800s Frenchman Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, "Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es”: “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” Less than forty years later Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach echoed, "Der Mensch ist, was er ißt," or “Man is what he eats” (English Proverbs). However, new circumstances give this old proverb new meaning and intriguing questions. In a society in which fewer and fewer people are directly involved with their own food production, understanding one’s food is becoming less common. This combination of old wisdom and new circumstance begs the question: if you are what you eat and you don’t know what you’re eating, do you know who you are?

Identity is formed from an individual’s understanding of the limits, separations, relationships, and contexts in which he or she operates. According to William Jordan, director of the New Academy for Nature and Culture, “Everything is defined by difference” (Jordan 49). The self exists because it is distinct from the other. Thus, the first step in developing an identity is “achieving awareness of the other” (Jordan 51). He gives the example: “A human infant regards itself as omnipotent or co-terminus with the world, making no distinction between what it desires and what the world has to offer.” The development of an identity, then, requires “the breakdown of this illusion of an all-inclusive self, as the other appears on the horizon of awareness” (Jordan 51). Jordan calls this recognition of limitation and separateness “shame,” affirming that “this shame is inseparable from any experience of relationship for the simple reason that any relationship forces on us an awareness of difference, and therefore of limitation” (Jordan 47). In order to develop identity, we first recognize the other, establishing the boundaries of the self, and then engage the other, building relationships through which we understand ourselves as individuals.

One of the most common ways we engage the other, and thereby develop identity-forming relationships, is eating. In their extensive study on The Meaning of Food, Patricia Harris, David Lyon, and Sue McLaughlin write, “Food is the universal human experience” (Harris et al 2). As such, the food one eats is central to forming his or her identity. Engaging the other through food establishes or influences various relationships, including relationships with other individuals, cultures or peoples, and places. As we come to understand ourselves and build our identities in part through these food-based relationships, we “are what we eat” in much more than just a physical sense. Understanding the genesis of and profoundly engaging the food we eat therefore becomes of the utmost importance.

Intro to My Food & Identity Paper

Sorry things have gotten a bit dusty around here again. I was recently talking to someone who reads this blog and whose opinion I value a lot. He mentioned that it can sometimes be hard to find the time to keep up a regular blog, and recommended that I post installments of one of my old papers that he recently read. (I'm glad you liked it so much, Brother Forsyth!) It just so happens that I took a lot of the ideas and research from that paper and wrote a new one this week for my Persuasive Writing class. It's long, so I'll spread it out over several posts so people don't get overwhelmed.

I think the paper will fit well with the rest of the content of this blog. It deals with the impact of food on a different level - the level of our personal identities. The basic question of the paper is "If you are what you eat, and you don't know what you're eating, do you know who you are?" As always, I'd love to hear your opinions and experiences relating to that question, or the topics of food and identity in general.

Thanks again for reading! I hope you enjoy the paper!

Why Care? Part 2: I Am My Brother's Keeper, Clarified

After writing, editing, discussing at length with someone I love and trust, and re-revising my previous blog post, I recognize that it still needs some clarification. Here is a brief update on my ever-evolving thoughts on the subject. But, again, please recognize that I'm still working through what I'm trying to say here, and I welcome your contribution.

 I do recognize my finite reach as an individual. I maintain that being my brother's keeper means a responsibility toward all people. However, I by no means intend to say that we are each personally responsible for solving every problem in our world, or even that we are responsible for actively engaging in solving every problem. That's humanly impossible, and I accept that (painful as that dose of reality and humility is for me to swallow). However, I mean to say that excuses like "it's not my problem," "it doesn't affect me," or "there's nothing I can do, so why care?" are not valid. As our brothers' keepers, we have a responsibility, first and foremost, to care. Sincerely caring will lead to action. What form that action takes is entirely up to each individual and will depend on what issues he or she feels most strongly about. My purpose with this blog is to inform myself and others concerning some of the issues I care about and how we can act on them in keeping with the truth "I am my brother's keeper."

I got the feedback that what I said in my previous post was cliche and nothing new, that all I really said was that we need to serve and care about others, and we all know that already. And maybe that's partly true. Here's why I wrote it anyway:

1. I cannot go on with what I'm trying to say in this blog without first establishing that fundamental truth. There is no point in a call to action on behalf of others without a solid reason to respond to that call. In my mind at least, that solid reason is that we have an inherent responsibility as well as the power to do so. If that doesn't make sense or you see logical holes in that conclusion, PLEASE stop me and I'll work on that!
2. Yes, we all know we need to serve and care about others. We've heard the phrase "I am my brother's keeper." However, my intention is not just to give the phrase another cameo appearance, but to make it a starring role in our lives. I want to emphasize that this is our true identity. It's not "I should be my brother's keeper," "I act as my brother's keeper occasionally" or anything of the sort. I AM my brother's keeper. If we truly understand ourselves in this way, our world will change.
3. Even if you've heard it before, I think it bears repeating and remembering. Why? Because we can look around the world and see by people's actions that we don't really believe it yet. And I include myself in that indictment. We all need to be frequently reminded and re-convinced that (1) our responsibilities extend beyond fulfilling our own desires and (2) we actually CAN effect change in the world! If you are able to continually keep these two principles in mind and not let your faith in them waiver (keeping in mind that the true test of faith is the action it produces), I honor you. The rest of us lesser mortals need periodic reminders to keep us on track.

Again, I welcome your thoughts, suggestions, and critiques. As always, thanks for reading.

Why Care? Part 1: I Am My Brother's Keeper

I've run into an unfortunate truth: keeping up a regular blog about such an intense topic is harder than I thought. Researching these issues and reporting my findings takes time, and that's hard to come by as a working college student. Finding the follow-through to devote my limited time to writing quality posts takes dedication and passion. So, for my own inspiration as much as yours, I'm going to hold off on my promised post about ethical animal products and focus this post on a more central question: Why should we care?

For me, it goes back to a basic truth that I firmly believe. It may sound simple, but I see it as an earth-shattering declaration. If we all really believed this and acted on it, I don't think any of us could imagine the extent of the changes it would cause in our world. Ready? Here it is: "I am my brother's keeper."

I'm sure that's not a new phrase for most of you. But think of the power in that statement!

I [as an individual, not just as part of some collective]  
am [inherently in my identity]  
my brother's keeper [responsible for AND capable of protecting and improving the well-being of others].

That last phrase is jam-packed with meaning. I'm sure each person reading this has a different definition of what that means for their life, and we could discuss it for hours. (And I'm totally up for doing so if you like! Or you could comment on this post. As always, I want to hear your thoughts.) For now, though, I'll try to give my own read on it and keep my comments short. But please understand, these thoughts are still, and may always be, a work in progress.

I believe that we are all children of God. That makes us - all of us - divine. But even if you don't share that religious belief, I'm sure you can agree that all human souls have inherent worth. If not, you may be reading the wrong blog. From that assumption of universal brotherhood and value, I'm going to conclude that "my brother" includes all people. Because we are all brothers and sisters, or, alternatively, because we are all of equal inherent value, there is no person that I can consciously put outside this definition. I can't justify picking and choosing, effectively saying "Well, this person matters, but I don't have to care about that one." Therefore, when I say "I am my brother's keeper," I believe that my responsibility as such extends to ALL people.  Not just my family and friends. Not just my fellow Americans. Not just [insert your favorite demographic here]. ALL people that fall under the reach of my influence.

Which brings me to the next point: asserting that I am my brother's keeper means recognizing that I have the power to benefit and uplift others. Obviously my reach of influence does not include everyone, and I definitely cannot solve all the problems of those I can reach, but I can improve the lives of my brothers and sisters, and I can help create a better world for all of us. And as globalization penetrates more of the earth every day, the number of people affected by our individual choices is growing by leaps and bounds. Your power and ability to bless -or hinder- are far beyond what you imagine.

We live in a world where people try to deny their inherent responsibility towards others with pansy questions like "Am I my brother's keeper?" and "Who is my neighbor?", aimed at evading responsibility. While individuals may know about issues like world hunger, illiteracy, disease, and human rights violations, many feel these things do not concern them. Even those who care can feel powerless to do anything about such colossal problems. In such a world, "I am my brother's keeper" is an incredible statement of faith. It proclaims personal responsibility and power. It is the foundational principle of a better world.

So, why care? Because our world is messed up. Because our brothers and sisters are suffering, partly due to systems that we participate in. Because we have the power and responsibility to change that. Because we are our brothers' keepers.

Stay tuned for why food choices are a crucial part of fulfilling that role.