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I don’t know why we think America is such a great role model on how to make smart food choices . . . .
That’s demeaning for the millions of people here who come from anywhere other than a whitewashed version of post-war America.
And it has serious consequences—especially when put in the context of food insecurity. Grocery prices continue to soar; millions of Americans are struggling to put food on the table here. Our American-biased food policy says: We’ll consider giving you assistance, but only if you eat exactly what we believe you should be eating.
Like housing, food is a human right. But food is also an essential part of culture.
We cannot keep imposing historic biases on food culture against anyone who needs help without erasing the many cultures and the many communities that are just as American as any others.
When someone of any cultural background suffers from food insecurity, we need to meet them where they are. We need to recognize that diet, cooking knowledge, and food preferences are culturally-based, and culturally competent produce should be readily available and affordable.
A one-size-fits-all approach to ANY policy is a public health no-no. Our policies around food and food deserts have some catching up to do.
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