I grew up in the 60's. While it was a time of unprecedented upheaval in urban areas, it was also a time when tolerance was being learned in all kinds of ways. While in high school, one of my best friends and I did some volunteer work for the local YMCA. One of the projects we led was a cross-cultural experience with inner city youth. My friend (who happened to be Japanese American) and I grew to love these "kids" so much that we invited them to my parents' home for an overnight in the back yard complete with tents and sleeping bags, fire flies and s'mores. Everyone, including my brothers and parents, had a wonderful time! We learned much from each other not the least of which was that we were all people who liked having fun.
Fast forward 40+ years and what have we discovered? Food has become the universal leveler that brings people together. Most of us like to explore new flavors, textures and ways of eating. Some of us want to find out about the background from which these foods developed. What better way to find out about the people and culture that creates these foods.
Think about the foods that have a place on our table about which our mothers never knew let alone ate. Tortillas hold a permanent place in my refrigerator and find their way to my table weekly along with guacamole. Feta cheese and Greek olives are frequent salad toppers and I'm never without curry in the cupboard or salsa in the refrigerator. As a young child, my son's favorite fruit was kiwi
. These are foods of which my mother was completely unaware until she was well into her sixties. They also tell us about the people from the food's country of origin and we begin to make connections with them. Continue to experiment with ethnic foods and learn about the people who grew up eating them. As we become more familiar with the food, we'll become more tolerant of the people. As people, we all love food. Exploit that trait and extend our ability to be inclusive.
Bon Appetit!
Marcia
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