You’re just doing it because that’s what’s trendy among White people.
Creator:
Isabel Huang (She/her)
Dietary choices are often hugely personal, sometimes existing at the intersection of cultural identity, religious identity, and religiosity (among other dimensions). Whereas vegetarianism is an important way of life for many people who follow Buddhism, Sikhi, Hinduism, and other religions in many Asian cultures (particularly in East and South Asian cultures), vegetarianism has sometimes been associated with privilege and Whiteness in Western societies. This can create a conundrum for Asian diaspora growing up in Western societies where practicing vegetarianism for religious reasons may have those reasons be invisibilized, and instead be seen as secular Westernized Asians. Follow Isabel as she reflects on her experience being vegetarian as an East Asian, contemplating her cultural identity, her connections to her cultural community, and the secularization and commercialization of Eastern religious ideas for a Western market. What has been your relationship with your dietary choices, and what led you to eat food the way that you do?