Before we move on to other related subjects, I wanted to add an extra dose of cultural understanding into our healthy eating mix. Food connects us in so many ways, but it can also divide us, if we let it. Fear of the unknown can prevent us from learning and growing.
Many of us tend to seek out people, places, experiences, and food that we are familiar with. Similarity is a comfort food, but isn’t it more fun when we open up and celebrate our differences? The gap between the two isn’t all that large, anyway, is it?
A great example of how the way we share food can either bring us together, or keep us apart, can be found in How My Parents Learned to Eat (Sandpiper Houghton Mifflin books)
A young girl tells the tale of how the culture of food almost kept her mother and father apart. You see, her mother was a "Japanese schoolgirl," and her father was an American sailor, when they first met. Her father wanted to ask her mother out, but was worried about not knowing how to use chopsticks. As they walked and talked more and more, the girl’s future mother wondered if she wasn’t being asked out because she didn’t know how to eat with a knife and fork!
Eventually though, the sailor finds out he will soon ship out. He wants to marry the young Japanese woman, but how can he if he doesn’t know if they even like the same food? So, with a little help from a waiter, he gets up the courage to ask his love to dinner. And with some advice from a Great Uncle, the young woman gets ready for the big event.
There are a few surprises along the way, but I’m sure you can guess how the story ends. They did end up as parents, after all!
I must also add that the fact that her mother is referred to as a "schoolgirl" could open up a conversation about dating and marriage traditions in different countries. It's also a perfect opportunity for parents to share their own values and beliefs.
A perfect complement to this selection would be Halmoni and the Picnic
Halmoni has a hard time figuring out the American culture she's suddenly been immersed in; so she avoids speaking or communicating with anyone outside of her family, even her granddaughter's friends. She can't understand why Yunmi calls an adult by her name, and even makes eye contact with her! In Korea, such actions are considered to be rude, but Yunmi explains that quite the opposite is true in America.
And so, the windows of understanding start to open up for Halmoni; but it's when her granddaughter's extraordinarily kind friend asks a teacher if she can accompany the class on a trip to Central Park that the puzzle pieces really start to come together.
When Halmoni makes some kimbap (which looks like sushi, but has "rice, carrots, eggs, and green vegetables wrapped in seaweed") to share with the entire class, Yunmi worries that the other students will not eat it, and might even make fun of her grandmother.
This time around, though, Halmoni has something to teach her granddaughter. It ends up being a win-win situation all around, and Halmoni even forgets that in Korea, “it is not dignified for a woman to smile in public without covering her mouth with her hand."
What I really love about both of these picture books is that they shine the light on the one thing that can prevent cultural differences from keeping people apart, or from misunderstanding each other, and that's communication. And since we all have to eat, what better way to do so than through food and shared meals?
Food and books: a powerful combination that was mentioned in the interview with Stephen Krashen that I shared yesterday.
And so, here are just a few connections you might make with your child after sharing these books:
- If you have a relative or friend who emigrated from another country, encourage your child to ask him or her questions about the experience. A grandparent might even want to read the books together, and will also enjoy reading Allen Say's Grandfather's Journey
and/or Tea with Milk
(more appropriate for older children between 8 and 12) as well. Another fun one to share is The Castle on Hester Street.
- Visit Ellis Island, take a tour, and have a picnic!
- Find a recipe for kimbap and make it together. You can find some great instructions and photos here and even a video here. If that's too complicated, or doesn't appeal to you, choose something that's easier to make, or just try a new fruit or vegetable. You can head to the library to find cookbooks, find a recipe online, or ask a friend for a favorite family recipe.
- Host a pot luck where your child's friends each bring a special family recipe. Even if it's not centered on different cultures, there are many different versions of popular favorites. It's still another way to try new things. You can even suggest they bring something they didn't want to try at first, but then loved. Throw the word healthy into the mix, and it would be interesting to see what they cook up! Parents could join in too.
- Try a new kind of restaurant. Children love watching food being cooked in front of them on Japanese Hibachi tables, but there are so many other ethnic options to choose from.
- Ask your child about lunch etiquette at school, and what new lunch items he might try.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Every family and situation brings something new to the table. So, please feel free to share your experiences!
Can you think of a time when food helped you communicate better with someone?
I have to find a way to shorten these posts! Please bear with me as I tweak this series as I go along.
