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“Be the change you wish to see in the world”
By jen | May 1, 2009
Not my favorite food.
I love this quote by Gandhi. It’s this very notion that we as individuals must be the driving force for change and progress that first inspired me to become vegan. I’ve been thinking lately though that there is a lot more work that I could and would like to do around vegan activism. I’ve sometimes felt at odds with the mainstream vegan movement, which, in my opinion, hasn’t been very culturally aware in its approach to education and outreach. As such, I’ve long struggled to find my place in it.
I remember the first time I became exposed to the concept of veganism and how the person was trying to sell me on the wonders of Boca Burgers. Even though I was a meat eater at the time, I wasn’t one of those burger-eating kinds, so the thought of fake meat burgers didn’t exactly excite me. What had escaped me at the time was that a vegan and plant-based diet has always been a big part of my diet. Growing up Buddhist and on Vietnamese food, eating lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, tofu and seitan was not only normal, but a satisfying way to eat for me. When I realized all this, my main objection to veganism — not wanting to give up my home foods and connection to my culture — disappeared.
The idea that that culture and veganism need not be at odds with each other was reinforced for me when I had the opportunity to hear Bryant Terry, food activist and author of Vegan Soul Kitchen, speak couple days ago. He spoke not only about veganism from the standpoint of animal welfare, environmental issues and sustainability — which if you’ve been vegan for a while, you’ve heard before — but how healthy eating and sustainability are an important part of African-American heritage and the ways in which health issues and lack of accessibility to fresh produce affect communities of color. His talk got me thinking about the relationship between privilege and veganism and how I want to approach my activism.
I think I want to start by supporting food activists who do work concerning communities of color, like Vegans of Color, Mo Better Food, People’s Grocery and of course Bryant Terry. Any others? Please share!
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