Diet Culture v. The Cultural Diet
Positionality Statement: This post is written by Ojus Phogat, a second-year student at UMBC and a student-staff member at the Women’s Center. I am a South Asian American woman who has felt the persistent effects of diet culture first-hand. In writing this blog, I hope to identify these impacts and uncover the systems of oppression that keep them afloat. As a reader, I wish to encourage you to alter the way you pass judgment on yourself and others. The more we engage in fatphobic rhetoric, which stems from white supremacy and the patriarchy, the more we uphold these oppressive systems. To all my fellow women of color who have ever been made to feel like less because of the way you look: I hope you learn that you have always been enough.
When I was nine years old, I went to India for my grandfather’s funeral. After the cremation ritual, I was gathered into a room of extended family (most of whom were strangers to me) where the following conversation took place:
Random Uncle: “Do you ever walk on the treadmill?”
Me, a fairly active kid who did hours of dance, basketball, and swimming, and was yes chubby: “Hain Ji?” *yes sir*
Random Uncle: “At what speed? ZERO!”
*eruption of laughter from the surrounding guests*
His Wife: “Take it from me; all the housework you’ll have to do when you’re married will keep it off, but it’s better to start now. We only care about you.”
Image Description: Picture of Oprah wearing a purple sweater and white button-down. Saying “what?”. This image was a snippet from Oprah’s interview with Meghan Markle.
While this was not the first time I heard these kinds of comments from family members, I was crushed. And I sat crying at my grandfather’s funeral, not out of the sadness of his passing (because, to be honest, I didn’t know him very well), but because relatives I didn’t even know decided their opinions on my body were so profound that they had a dire need to communicate them with all the surrounding patrons and me IMMEDIATELY.
Image Description: Pictured is a graphic design from @recipiesforselflove on Instagram. The image displays a pale pink background and the text “stop fat-shaming disguised as health concerns” is placed slightly left of center. A black woman is illustrated in the bottom right-hand corner wearing a blue tank top and black pants. She is encompassed in a greyish-pink circle and surrounded by tall green plants.
From the first moment of our consciousness, we (women of color) are raised to think of weight as one of our defining characteristics. Something that measures how much human decency we will be allotted, how many people will treat us with respect, and of course, “most importantly” (as many of my fellow South Asian women have been told) how many marriage proposals we will receive when we are older. It does not matter how much we work out or eat nutrient-rich meals; if we do not visually conform to society’s standard of the ideal body, we are not only ridiculed for it, but our existence itself is categorized as inferior. We are silenced, shunned, and demonized for simply existing in non-white, fat bodies. Whether it is from how we observe the world or how we are treated within it, we grow to learn that being fat equates with being of less value, and so we turn to the alternative: ensuring “smallness” by any means necessary.
In order to contextualize western diet culture’s impact on specifically women of color, it is critical to understand its origin as being one compounded by systems of white supremacy and the patriarchy. These systems feed into the creation of a diet culture stemming from anti-blackness that is used as a tool to pit women and groups of color against one another.
Diet Culture & Women of Color
For many communities of color, the discrepancy between how we are taught to consume food—in schools and from our friends—and the cultural foods we enjoy in the comfort of our own homes cultivates a relationship with food defined by confusion, embarrassment, and shame. We are taught that things like carbs and “fatty” oils are the devil incarnate, and for cultural diets—defined by dishes artfully composed of rice and noodles—this can be detrimental. The Indian meals of my childhood like khichdi, pulao, and pav bhaji—rich in spices and made with a foundation of rice or bread—would be considered “unhealthy” because of the carbs and oil they contain. These very meals that nursed me back to health when I fell sick and energized me after hours of dance practice; would also be the source of my shame during school lunch periods and visits to the doctor’s office. Any nutritional value and traditional significance of these and other cultural dishes are often overshadowed by a mistaken idea of what is “healthy”—which in this case really equates to practices that result in supposed physical “smallness.”
The need to conform society to one idea of “health”—which standardizes a “correct” diet —controls how communities of color and communities of women form their relationships with food and nourishment. Health, in this case, becomes a concept encompassing what patterned behaviors keeps one from becoming fat. It dictates how individuals must engage in nutrition in exchange for societal acceptance. This phenomenon, while detrimental to all people—in this case explicitly discussing those impacted by Western practices of diet culture—affects women of color differently as they live in the limbo of two different, often competing cultural identities, each with their own social diet pressures, in conjunction with the necessary pursuit of femininity.
To center white-ness when creating the standard and “correct” American diet, colonizes nutrition and manipulates the mentality around health. It serves to Other* various cultural diets by making Western “health foods” the norm and vilifying any foods that stray from these guidelines. In turn, society claims that the very recipes that strengthened our ancestors, the very recipes that have quite literally borne and sustained our lineages are unacceptable. In reality, what is unacceptable is the rhetoric of disgust and inferiority that often marks cultural food sources. The idea that one should not consume the traditional dishes of their ancestry because of the “white” ideal diet is racist.
Take, for instance, the narrative surrounding MSG (monosodium glutamate)—a food additive utilized in many foods and “naturally found in foods like tomatoes and cheese”(Yeung, 2020), but ridiculed because of its use in traditional Chinese meals. The media has marked MSG as a dangerous and unhealthy ingredient and has linked it to conditions like asthma, drowsiness, and headaches (but not by any scientific backing). This racist rhetoric has steered people away from MSG and has forced the Chinese American community to be mindful of the backlash they may face in using the ingredient, especially for restaurant owners. The overall stigma that surrounds this ingredient displays just how much power white institutions have in dispelling the use of products, especially when those products hold a particular significance in BI-POC cultural cuisines.
The Implications of the Small Feminine Body
There is also a physical element to the requirement of smallness for feminine bodies. It operates under the assumption that women should occupy as little space as physically possible so as to keep their positions of power stifled. The presumption is that women—as the “submissive” gender—must bolster male masculinity by embodying the opposite characteristics of what men possess. By this “rule,” if men are meant to be large to monopolize space and contribute to their dominance, women must then be as small as possible to make “smaller” men adhere to this expectation. Women alone must assume the burden of changing themselves to allow for men to conform to the ideals they have set. Straying away from this ideal—embodying fatness and taking up greater space as a woman—means undermining these systems of the patriarchy that award men greater dominion over the world.
For women of color who reside in the western world, the pursuit of femininity means the expectation of smallness is compounded by the need (for survival purposes) to shed their melanin and present as light-skinned as possible. Because society masculinizes women of color, specifically brown and black women, they must pursue femininity more extremely because of their skin color. If not, they are ridiculed and solidify their low position on the social ladder. Because of this they feel a greater emphasis to conform to the ideals of western femininity, which encompasses the prerequisite of smallness. In doing so, they may often feel at odds with connecting to the traditional cultural foods they grew up with and abiding by the rules of the society in which they reside.
Imperialism's production of the beauty standard—the necessity of thinness and whiteness—for women and girls in places like India portrays this phenomenon at work. The colonial impact left by Persia and Britain in South Asia has ingrained ideologies about correct body shape, colorism, and anti-blackness. 
Image Description: Pictured is a scene from the era of British rule in India. Depicted are British soldiers, dressed in red and white garments, invading an Indian palace. The soldiers hold rifles and clouds of smoke surround them.
Since the reign of the Mughals and later the British East India Company, Indian culture has been defined by the idea that the highest cultural capital** is awarded to those of lighter skin and less weight. Because conforming more to this ideal cultural behavior meant increasing one's socio-economic status, adhering to the beauty standard was a matter of SURVIVAL. It meant that the closer you were to being this standard the better you would be treated by the foreigners who had come to rule your land and who controlled economic and social production within it.
Image Description: Pictured is an infographic made up of a light tan background created by Taylor Wolfram. It says “6 Ways to Be a Fat Ally”. And lists “ treat fat people with respect and dignity, call out fatphobia when you hear it and see it, seek out fat stories from fat people, believe fat people, ask restaurants, bars, special event venues, etc, to provide size-inclusive seating options, take fat friends and family to fat-accessible spaces”.
So with these foundational elements of diet culture’s impact in mind, we can then ask ourselves:
What can we do to mitigate and reverse the rather negative ramifications of this mindset?
We can change the way we think and talk about bodies
They are vessels that carry us through our day, why must we comment on every one we see ...?
We can advocate for ourselves and others when disrespectful rhetoric is used
You deserve to be vocal and correct disrespect even if it is viewed as normalized.
And maybe most importantly we can learn to view ourselves from a neutral lens
Your body is none other than how you move physically from place to place. To frame it in this way may help the preoccupation with how we are perceived because of it.
I know what you’re thinking: these tips are much easier said than done. And you are correct! But, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hold ourselves accountable when we say or think about bodies negatively. It also means that if you are being degraded for your appearance: STAND UP FOR YOURSELF! Real change can only be possible when we—women of color—learn that we are worthy of taking up space in this world.
Footnotes
* The act of alienating something by highlighting its “abnormal” characteristics
** The amount of societal status one is given based on various factors (i.e., education, skills, wealth, and discussed the most in this case appearance)
Resources and recommendations you should be sure to check out:
CNN: MSG in Chinese Food Isn't Unhealthy -- You're Just Racist, Activists Say.
Yeung, Jessie. “MSG in Chinese Food Isn't Unhealthy -- You're Just Racist, Activists Say.” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 Jan. 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/18/asia/chinese-restaurant-syndrome-msg-intl-hnk-scli/index.html.
Harvard University: Occidentalisation of Beauty Standards: Eurocentrism in Asia
Chen, Toby, et al. “Occidentalisation of Beauty Standards: Eurocentrism in Asia.” Zenodo, Harvard University , 16 Dec. 2020, https://zenodo.org/record/4325856#.YZvkpr1Ki3I.
Gloria Lucas: Nalgona Positivity Pride
Yesika Salgado: What Comes After Loving Yourself? Advice from a Fat Fly Brown Girl
Yeskia Selgado: The Hunger
Teen Vogue: Fat is Not a Bad Word
Taylor Wolfram: 6 ways to Be a Fat Ally
Allison Rachel: Recipes for Self-Love
NPR: Code Switch- Is Beauty In The Eyes of The Colonizer
]]>
Positionality Statement: This post is written by Ojus Phogat, a second-year student at UMBC and a student-staff member at the Women’s Center. I am a South Asian American woman who has felt the...
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Mon, 22 Nov 2021 17:04:31 -0500
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Diet Culture v. The Cultural Diet
Image description: A formal headshot of the author.
Positionality Statement: This post is written by Ojus Phogat, a second-year student at UMBC and a student-staff member at the Women’s Center. I am a South Asian American woman who has felt the persistent effects of diet culture first-hand. In writing this blog, I hope to identify these impacts and uncover the systems of oppression that keep them afloat. As a reader, I wish to encourage you to alter the way you pass judgment on yourself and others. The more we engage in fatphobic rhetoric, which stems from white supremacy and the patriarchy, the more we uphold these oppressive systems. To all my fellow women of color who have ever been made to feel like less because of the way you look: I hope you learn that you have always been enough.
When I was nine years old, I went to India for my grandfather’s funeral. After the cremation ritual, I was gathered into a room of extended family (most of whom were strangers to me) where the following conversation took place:
Random Uncle: “Do you ever walk on the treadmill?”
Me, a fairly active kid who did hours of dance, basketball, and swimming, and was yes chubby: “Hain Ji?” *yes sir*
Random Uncle: “At what speed? ZERO!”
*eruption of laughter from the surrounding guests*
His Wife: “Take it from me; all the housework you’ll have to do when you’re married will keep it off, but it’s better to start now. We only care about you.”
Image Description: GIF of Oprah wearing a purple sweater and white button-down. Saying “what?”. This image was a snippet from Oprah’s interview with Meghan Markle.
While this was not the first time I heard these kinds of comments from family members, I was crushed. And I sat crying at my grandfather’s funeral, not out of the sadness of his passing (because, to be honest, I didn’t know him very well), but because relatives I didn’t even know decided their opinions on my body were so profound that they had a dire need to communicate them with all the surrounding patrons and me IMMEDIATELY.
Image Description: Pictured is a graphic design from @recipiesforselflove on Instagram. The image displays a pale pink background and the text “stop fat-shaming disguised as health concerns” is placed slightly left of center. A black woman is illustrated in the bottom right-hand corner wearing a blue tank top and black pants. She is encompassed in a greyish-pink circle and surrounded by tall green plants.
From the first moment of our consciousness, we (women of color) are raised to think of weight as one of our defining characteristics. Something that measures how much human decency we will be allotted, how many people will treat us with respect, and of course, “most importantly” (as many of my fellow South Asian women have been told) how many marriage proposals we will receive when we are older. It does not matter how much we work out or eat nutrient-rich meals; if we do not visually conform to society’s standard of the ideal body, we are not only ridiculed for it, but our existence itself is categorized as inferior. We are silenced, shunned, and demonized for simply existing in non-white, fat bodies. Whether it is from how we observe the world or how we are treated within it, we grow to learn that being fat equates with being of less value, and so we turn to the alternative: ensuring “smallness” by any means necessary.
In order to contextualize western diet culture’s impact on specifically women of color, it is critical to understand its origin as being one compounded by systems of white supremacy and the patriarchy. These systems feed into the creation of a diet culture stemming from anti-blackness that is used as a tool to pit women and groups of color against one another.
Diet Culture & Women of Color
For many communities of color, the discrepancy between how we are taught to consume food—in schools and from our friends—and the cultural foods we enjoy in the comfort of our own homes cultivates a relationship with food defined by confusion, embarrassment, and shame. We are taught that things like carbs and “fatty” oils are the devil incarnate, and for cultural diets—defined by dishes artfully composed of rice and noodles—this can be detrimental. The Indian meals of my childhood like khichdi, pulao, and pav bhaji—rich in spices and made with a foundation of rice or bread—would be considered “unhealthy” because of the carbs and oil they contain. These very meals that nursed me back to health when I fell sick and energized me after hours of dance practice; would also be the source of my shame during school lunch periods and visits to the doctor’s office. Any nutritional value and traditional significance of these and other cultural dishes are often overshadowed by a mistaken idea of what is “healthy”—which in this case really equates to practices that result in supposed physical “smallness.”
The need to conform society to one idea of “health”—which standardizes a “correct” diet —controls how communities of color and communities of women form their relationships with food and nourishment. Health, in this case, becomes a concept encompassing what patterned behaviors keeps one from becoming fat. It dictates how individuals must engage in nutrition in exchange for societal acceptance. This phenomenon, while detrimental to all people—in this case explicitly discussing those impacted by Western practices of diet culture—affects women of color differently as they live in the limbo of two different, often competing cultural identities, each with their own social diet pressures, in conjunction with the necessary pursuit of femininity.
To center white-ness when creating the standard and “correct” American diet, colonizes nutrition and manipulates the mentality around health. It serves to Other* various cultural diets by making Western “health foods” the norm and vilifying any foods that stray from these guidelines. In turn, society claims that the very recipes that strengthened our ancestors, the very recipes that have quite literally borne and sustained our lineages are unacceptable. In reality, what is unacceptable is the rhetoric of disgust and inferiority that often marks cultural food sources. The idea that one should not consume the traditional dishes of their ancestry because of the “white” ideal diet is racist.
Take, for instance, the narrative surrounding MSG (monosodium glutamate)—a food additive utilized in many foods and “naturally found in foods like tomatoes and cheese”(Yeung, 2020), but ridiculed because of its use in traditional Chinese meals. The media has marked MSG as a dangerous and unhealthy ingredient and has linked it to conditions like asthma, drowsiness, and headaches (but not by any scientific backing). This racist rhetoric has steered people away from MSG and has forced the Chinese American community to be mindful of the backlash they may face in using the ingredient, especially for restaurant owners. The overall stigma that surrounds this ingredient displays just how much power white institutions have in dispelling the use of products, especially when those products hold a particular significance in BI-POC cultural cuisines.
The Implications of the Small Feminine Body
There is also a physical element to the requirement of smallness for feminine bodies. It operates under the assumption that women should occupy as little space as physically possible so as to keep their positions of power stifled. The presumption is that women—as the “submissive” gender—must bolster male masculinity by embodying the opposite characteristics of what men possess. By this “rule,” if men are meant to be large to monopolize space and contribute to their dominance, women must then be as small as possible to make “smaller” men adhere to this expectation. Women alone must assume the burden of changing themselves to allow for men to conform to the ideals they have set. Straying away from this ideal—embodying fatness and taking up greater space as a woman—means undermining these systems of the patriarchy that award men greater dominion over the world.
For women of color who reside in the western world, the pursuit of femininity means the expectation of smallness is compounded by the need (for survival purposes) to shed their melanin and present as light-skinned as possible. Because society masculinizes women of color, specifically brown and black women, they must pursue femininity more extremely because of their skin color. If not, they are ridiculed and solidify their low position on the social ladder. Because of this they feel a greater emphasis to conform to the ideals of western femininity, which encompasses the prerequisite of smallness. In doing so, they may often feel at odds with connecting to the traditional cultural foods they grew up with and abiding by the rules of the society in which they reside.
Imperialism’s production of the beauty standard—the necessity of thinness and whiteness—for women and girls in places like India portrays this phenomenon at work. The colonial impact left by Persia and Britain in South Asia has ingrained ideologies about correct body shape, colorism, and anti-blackness.
Image Description: Pictured is a scene from the era of British rule in India. Depicted are British soldiers, dressed in red and white garments, invading an Indian palace. The soldiers hold rifles and clouds of smoke surround them.
Since the reign of the Mughals and later the British East India Company, Indian culture has been defined by the idea that the highest cultural capital** is awarded to those of lighter skin and less weight. Because conforming more to this ideal cultural behavior meant increasing one’s socio-economic status, adhering to the beauty standard was a matter of SURVIVAL. It meant that the closer you were to being this standard the better you would be treated by the foreigners who had come to rule your land and who controlled economic and social production within it.
Image Description: Pictured is an infographic made up of a light tan background created by Taylor Wolfram. It says “6 Ways to Be a Fat Ally”. And lists “ treat fat people with respect and dignity, call out fatphobia when you hear it and see it, seek out fat stories from fat people, believe fat people, ask restaurants, bars, special event venues, etc, to provide size-inclusive seating options, take fat friends and family to fat-accessible spaces”.
So with these foundational elements of diet culture’s impact in mind, we can then ask ourselves:
What can we do to mitigate and reverse the rather negative ramifications of this mindset?
We can change the way we think and talk about bodies
They are vessels that carry us through our day, why must we comment on every one we see …?
We can advocate for ourselves and others when disrespectful rhetoric is used
You deserve to be vocal and correct disrespect even if it is viewed as normalized.
And maybe most importantly we can learn to view ourselves from a neutral lens
Your body is none other than how you move physically from place to place. To frame it in this way may help the preoccupation with how we are perceived because of it.
I know what you’re thinking: these tips are much easier said than done. And you are correct! But, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hold ourselves accountable when we say or think about bodies negatively. It also means that if you are being degraded for your appearance: STAND UP FOR YOURSELF! Real change can only be possible when we—women of color—learn that we are worthy of taking up space in this world.
Footnotes
* The act of alienating something by highlighting its “abnormal” characteristics
** The amount of societal status one is given based on various factors (i.e., education, skills, wealth, and discussed the most in this case appearance)
Resources and recommendations you should be sure to check out:
CNN: MSG in Chinese Food Isn’t Unhealthy — You’re Just Racist, Activists Say.
Yeung, Jessie. “MSG in Chinese Food Isn’t Unhealthy — You’re Just Racist, Activists Say.” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 Jan. 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/18/asia/chinese-restaurant-syndrome-msg-intl-hnk-scli/index.html.
Harvard University: Occidentalisation of Beauty Standards: Eurocentrism in Asia
Chen, Toby, et al. “Occidentalisation of Beauty Standards: Eurocentrism in Asia.” Zenodo, Harvard University , 16 Dec. 2020, https://zenodo.org/record/4325856#.YZvkpr1Ki3I.
Gloria Lucas: Nalgona Positivity Pride
Yesika Salgado: What Comes After Loving Yourself? Advice from a Fat Fly Brown Girl
Yeskia Selgado: The Hunger
Teen Vogue: Fat is Not a Bad Word
Taylor Wolfram: 6 ways to Be a Fat Ally
Allison Rachel: Recipes for Self-Love
NPR: Code Switch- Is Beauty In The Eyes of The Colonizer
Image description: A formal headshot of the author.
Positionality Statement: This post is written by Ojuswani Phogat, a second-year student at UMBC and a student-staff member at the Women’s Center. I am a South Asian American woman who has felt the persistent effects of diet culture first-hand. In writing this blog, I hope to identify these impacts and uncover the systems of oppression that keep them afloat. As a reader, I wish to encourage you to alter the way you pass judgment on yourself and others. The more we engage in fatphobic rhetoric, which stems from white supremacy and the patriarchy, the more we uphold these oppressive systems. To all my fellow women of color who have ever been made to feel like less because of the way you look: I hope you learn that you have always been enough.
When I was nine years old, I went to India for my grandfather’s funeral. After the cremation ritual, I was gathered into a room of extended family (most of whom were strangers to me) where the following conversation took place:
Random Uncle: “Do you ever walk on the treadmill?”
Me, a fairly active kid who did hours of dance, basketball, and swimming, and was yes chubby: “Hain Ji?” *yes sir*
Random Uncle: “At what speed? ZERO!”
*eruption of laughter from the surrounding guests*
His Wife: “Take it from me; all the housework you’ll have to do when you’re married will keep it off, but it’s better to start now. We only care about you.”
Image Description: GIF of Oprah wearing a purple sweater and white button-down. Saying “what?”. This image was a snippet from Oprah’s interview with Meghan Markle.
While this was not the first time I heard these kinds of comments from family members, I was crushed. And I sat crying at my grandfather’s funeral, not out of the sadness of his passing (because, to be honest, I didn’t know him very well), but because relatives I didn’t even know decided their opinions on my body were so profound that they had a dire need to communicate them with all the surrounding patrons and me IMMEDIATELY.
Image Description: Pictured is a graphic design from @recipiesforselflove on Instagram. The image displays a pale pink background and the text “stop fat-shaming disguised as health concerns” is placed slightly left of center. A black woman is illustrated in the bottom right-hand corner wearing a blue tank top and black pants. She is encompassed in a greyish-pink circle and surrounded by tall green plants.
From the first moment of our consciousness, we (women of color) are raised to think of weight as one of our defining characteristics. Something that measures how much human decency we will be allotted, how many people will treat us with respect, and of course, “most importantly” (as many of my fellow South Asian women have been told) how many marriage proposals we will receive when we are older. It does not matter how much we work out or eat nutrient-rich meals; if we do not visually conform to society’s standard of the ideal body, we are not only ridiculed for it, but our existence itself is categorized as inferior. We are silenced, shunned, and demonized for simply existing in non-white, fat bodies. Whether it is from how we observe the world or how we are treated within it, we grow to learn that being fat equates with being of less value, and so we turn to the alternative: ensuring “smallness” by any means necessary.
In order to contextualize western diet culture’s impact on specifically women of color, it is critical to understand its origin as being one compounded by systems of white supremacy and the patriarchy. These systems feed into the creation of a diet culture stemming from anti-blackness that is used as a tool to pit women and groups of color against one another.
Diet Culture & Women of Color
For many communities of color, the discrepancy between how we are taught to consume food—in schools and from our friends—and the cultural foods we enjoy in the comfort of our own homes cultivates a relationship with food defined by confusion, embarrassment, and shame. We are taught that things like carbs and “fatty” oils are the devil incarnate, and for cultural diets—defined by dishes artfully composed of rice and noodles—this can be detrimental. The Indian meals of my childhood like khichdi, pulao, and pav bhaji—rich in spices and made with a foundation of rice or bread—would be considered “unhealthy” because of the carbs and oil they contain. These very meals that nursed me back to health when I fell sick and energized me after hours of dance practice; would also be the source of my shame during school lunch periods and visits to the doctor’s office. Any nutritional value and traditional significance of these and other cultural dishes are often overshadowed by a mistaken idea of what is “healthy”—which in this case really equates to practices that result in supposed physical “smallness.”
The need to conform society to one idea of “health”—which standardizes a “correct” diet —controls how communities of color and communities of women form their relationships with food and nourishment. Health, in this case, becomes a concept encompassing what patterned behaviors keeps one from becoming fat. It dictates how individuals must engage in nutrition in exchange for societal acceptance. This phenomenon, while detrimental to all people—in this case explicitly discussing those impacted by Western practices of diet culture—affects women of color differently as they live in the limbo of two different, often competing cultural identities, each with their own social diet pressures, in conjunction with the necessary pursuit of femininity.
To center white-ness when creating the standard and “correct” American diet, colonizes nutrition and manipulates the mentality around health. It serves to Other* various cultural diets by making Western “health foods” the norm and vilifying any foods that stray from these guidelines. In turn, society claims that the very recipes that strengthened our ancestors, the very recipes that have quite literally borne and sustained our lineages are unacceptable. In reality, what is unacceptable is the rhetoric of disgust and inferiority that often marks cultural food sources. The idea that one should not consume the traditional dishes of their ancestry because of the “white” ideal diet is racist.
Take, for instance, the narrative surrounding MSG (monosodium glutamate)—a food additive utilized in many foods and “naturally found in foods like tomatoes and cheese”(Yeung, 2020), but ridiculed because of its use in traditional Chinese meals. The media has marked MSG as a dangerous and unhealthy ingredient and has linked it to conditions like asthma, drowsiness, and headaches (but not by any scientific backing). This racist rhetoric has steered people away from MSG and has forced the Chinese American community to be mindful of the backlash they may face in using the ingredient, especially for restaurant owners. The overall stigma that surrounds this ingredient displays just how much power white institutions have in dispelling the use of products, especially when those products hold a particular significance in BI-POC cultural cuisines.
The Implications of the Small Feminine Body
There is also a physical element to the requirement of smallness for feminine bodies. It operates under the assumption that women should occupy as little space as physically possible so as to keep their positions of power stifled. The presumption is that women—as the “submissive” gender—must bolster male masculinity by embodying the opposite characteristics of what men possess. By this “rule,” if men are meant to be large to monopolize space and contribute to their dominance, women must then be as small as possible to make “smaller” men adhere to this expectation. Women alone must assume the burden of changing themselves to allow for men to conform to the ideals they have set. Straying away from this ideal—embodying fatness and taking up greater space as a woman—means undermining these systems of the patriarchy that award men greater dominion over the world.
For women of color who reside in the western world, the pursuit of femininity means the expectation of smallness is compounded by the need (for survival purposes) to shed their melanin and present as light-skinned as possible. Because society masculinizes women of color, specifically brown and black women, they must pursue femininity more extremely because of their skin color. If not, they are ridiculed and solidify their low position on the social ladder. Because of this they feel a greater emphasis to conform to the ideals of western femininity, which encompasses the prerequisite of smallness. In doing so, they may often feel at odds with connecting to the traditional cultural foods they grew up with and abiding by the rules of the society in which they reside.
Imperialism’s production of the beauty standard—the necessity of thinness and whiteness—for women and girls in places like India portrays this phenomenon at work. The colonial impact left by Persia and Britain in South Asia has ingrained ideologies about correct body shape, colorism, and anti-blackness.
Image Description: Pictured is a scene from the era of British rule in India. Depicted are British soldiers, dressed in red and white garments, invading an Indian palace. The soldiers hold rifles and clouds of smoke surround them.
Since the reign of the Mughals and later the British East India Company, Indian culture has been defined by the idea that the highest cultural capital** is awarded to those of lighter skin and less weight. Because conforming more to this ideal cultural behavior meant increasing one’s socio-economic status, adhering to the beauty standard was a matter of SURVIVAL. It meant that the closer you were to being this standard the better you would be treated by the foreigners who had come to rule your land and who controlled economic and social production within it.
Image Description: Pictured is an infographic made up of a light tan background created by Taylor Wolfram. It says “6 Ways to Be a Fat Ally”. And lists “ treat fat people with respect and dignity, call out fatphobia when you hear it and see it, seek out fat stories from fat people, believe fat people, ask restaurants, bars, special event venues, etc, to provide size-inclusive seating options, take fat friends and family to fat-accessible spaces”.
So with these foundational elements of diet culture’s impact in mind, we can then ask ourselves:
What can we do to mitigate and reverse the rather negative ramifications of this mindset?
We can change the way we think and talk about bodies
They are vessels that carry us through our day, why must we comment on every one we see …?
We can advocate for ourselves and others when disrespectful rhetoric is used
You deserve to be vocal and correct disrespect even if it is viewed as normalized.
And maybe most importantly we can learn to view ourselves from a neutral lens
Your body is none other than how you move physically from place to place. To frame it in this way may help the preoccupation with how we are perceived because of it.
I know what you’re thinking: these tips are much easier said than done. And you are correct! But, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hold ourselves accountable when we say or think about bodies negatively. It also means that if you are being degraded for your appearance: STAND UP FOR YOURSELF! Real change can only be possible when we—women of color—learn that we are worthy of taking up space in this world.
Footnotes
* The act of alienating something by highlighting its “abnormal” characteristics
** The amount of societal status one is given based on various factors (i.e., education, skills, wealth, and discussed the most in this case appearance)
Resources and recommendations you should be sure to check out:
CNN: MSG in Chinese Food Isn’t Unhealthy — You’re Just Racist, Activists Say.
Yeung, Jessie. “MSG in Chinese Food Isn’t Unhealthy — You’re Just Racist, Activists Say.” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 Jan. 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/18/asia/chinese-restaurant-syndrome-msg-intl-hnk-scli/index.html.
Harvard University: Occidentalisation of Beauty Standards: Eurocentrism in Asia
Chen, Toby, et al. “Occidentalisation of Beauty Standards: Eurocentrism in Asia.” Zenodo, Harvard University , 16 Dec. 2020, https://zenodo.org/record/4325856#.YZvkpr1Ki3I.
Gloria Lucas: Nalgona Positivity Pride
Yesika Salgado: What Comes After Loving Yourself? Advice from a Fat Fly Brown Girl
Yeskia Selgado: The Hunger
Teen Vogue: Fat is Not a Bad Word
Taylor Wolfram: 6 ways to Be a Fat Ally
Allison Rachel: Recipes for Self-Love
NPR: Code Switch- Is Beauty In The Eyes of The Colonizer
Name: Hope Timoll
Internship, Co-op, or Research Site: Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women
Position Title: Summer Fellow
Major or Program: Media and Communication Studies
Current Class Level: Senior
Work Term: Summer 2021
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I wrote op-eds on public policy issues and current events, hosted and attended D.C. local seminars, received media training, created social media content, introduced speakers, and developed business strategies.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I heard of the position in late 2018 through the internet and decided to apply last Spring when I was enrolled in MCS 144. I used resources from that class to prepare my application, in addition to the Career Center’s drop-in resume sessions.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
As an intern for this organization, I can truly see how the staff wants to help other college students like me in entering the workforce. I don't feel like another intern at all. They truly want to see me put my best foot forward and are willing to assist me in any way to complete that endeavor and reach my career goals. I enjoyed having a mentor in the office to talk with and using my writing skills. The intern program is a phenomenal experience.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I believe I made an impact on people through my various writing activities, helping them to understand certain policies and current events better.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Be proactive and be open to a flexible schedule. Every day was so different, I always had to be prepared for anything that came my way!
Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.
This internship helped me to understand a lot about myself and my career goals. What I learned during my time as an intern was just as important as what I am learning in the classroom. I enjoyed being able to earn academic credit while working over the summer, and the Career Center guaranteed that I was obtaining the most out of my internship by ensuring that I was up to date on various forms and I had appointments to discuss the status of the internship and learned skills that I believe will last a lifetime.
Check out this post on our social media platforms!
#UMBCintern
Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out
this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Monday!
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Name: Hope Timoll Internship, Co-op, or Research Site: Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women Position Title: Summer Fellow Major or Program: Media and Communication Studies...
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Mon, 22 Nov 2021 08:23:39 -0500
Do you have an interest in Becoming a Nonprofit Leader?
Apply to be a Paid Shattuck Intern w/a Nonprofit by 12/8
Are you ready to intern with a Nonprofit or Social Venture this Spring?
If yes, apply to the Shattuck Family Internship Program for Entrepreneurship Innovation and Social Change.
The Shattuck Family Internship Program for Entrepreneurship Innovation and Social Change prepares UMBC students for the rigors and rewards of entrepreneurship and social innovation. This program places highly-motivated students from diverse backgrounds in mentored internships (remote and/or onsite) to better prepare them to launch nonprofit or social ventures. Students get training and experience to empower them to become the next generation of social entrepreneurs–working largely in the not-for-profit world, developing and delivering innovative solutions to some of our region’s most urgent social problems.
Internships last one semester (15 weeks) and students will work, on average, 8 to 10 hours per week. Students receive a stipend of $1,500 toward their compensation. In addition to the internship, students engage in projects and activities that further expose them to the social entrepreneurial mindset.
DEADLINE TO APPLY: Wednesday, 12/8
Why Participate?- Earn a competitive stipend of $1,500
- Gain valuable experience in your career field by interning 120 hours over the course of the semester (8-10 hours per week)
- Be exposed to the knowledge, skills, and mindset required to successfully launch and manage a nonprofit/social venture
- Develop a network of contacts in the nonprofit community for future references and opportunities
- Apply classroom knowledge in a realistic work environment and apply lessons learned in the workplace to academic coursework
TO APPLY:Interested students are asked to submit a Resume and a Cover Letter answering the following questions:
Discuss your interest in both entrepreneurship and this intern program. What has been your entrepreneurial involvement thus far such as coursework, seminars, etc. (if applicable)? What type of nonprofit would you like to intern for and why?
Your resume and cover letter can be submitted via UMBCworks, position
Christine Routzahn
Director
Career Center, UMBC
DEADLINE TO APPLY: Wednesday, 12/8
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Are you ready to intern with a Nonprofit or Social Venture this Spring? If yes, apply to the Shattuck Family Internship Program for Entrepreneurship Innovation and Social Change. The...
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Sat, 20 Nov 2021 15:05:51 -0500
Tue, 30 Nov 2021 10:59:18 -0500
Are you ready to intern w/a start-up this Spring & get paid?
Apply to be a Shattuck Entrepreneur Intern- Deadline 12/8
Do you have an interest in Entrepreneurship?
Are you ready to intern within a Start-up this Spring?If yes, apply to the Shattuck Family Internship Program for Entrepreneurship Innovation and Social Change.
The Shattuck Family Internship Program for Entrepreneurship Innovation and Social Change prepares UMBC students for the rigors and rewards of entrepreneurship and social innovation. This program places highly-motivated students from diverse backgrounds in mentored internships to better prepare them to launch for-profit ventures
Internships last one semester (15 weeks) and students will work, on average, 8 to 10 hours per week. Students receive a stipend of $1,500 toward their compensation.
DEADLINE TO APPLY: Wednesday, 12/8
Why Participate?- Earn a competitive stipend of $1,500 plus an opportunity to potentially earn credit
- Gain valuable experience in your career field by interning 120 hours over the course of the semester (8-10 hours per week)
- Be exposed to the knowledge, skills, and mindset required to successfully launch and manage a growing business
- Develop a network of contacts in the entrepreneurial community for future references and opportunities
- Apply classroom knowledge in a realistic work environment and apply lessons learned in the workplace to academic coursework
TO APPLY:Interested students are asked to submit a Resume and a Cover Letter answering the following questions:
Discuss your interest in both entrepreneurship and this intern program. What has been your entrepreneurial involvement thus far such as coursework, seminars, etc. (if applicable)? What type of start-up would you like to intern for and why?
REQUIREMENTS: 2.9 GPA or above, Undergraduate student status, Open to ALL Majors
Your Resume and Cover Letter can be submitted via UMBCworks, position 9332972.Christine Routzahn, Director
Career Center, UMBC
routzahn@umbc.edu, 410-455-3671
If you do not have a resume already approved in
UMBCworks, send your resume and cover letter directly to
routzahn@umbc.edu
DEADLINE TO APPLY: Wednesday, 12/8
]]>
Do you have an interest in Entrepreneurship? Are you ready to intern within a Start-up this Spring? If yes, apply to the Shattuck Family Internship Program for Entrepreneurship Innovation and...
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Sat, 20 Nov 2021 14:58:07 -0500
Tue, 30 Nov 2021 10:59:53 -0500
UMBC Responds to Hate
To Our Students, Faculty, and Staff,
Many in our community are shocked and saddened by recent events, both on and off campus. This week, UMBC Police are investigating two reports of hate-bias crimes. These reports encompassed an attack on a Muslim student, the use of anti-Black slurs in an online meeting, a targeted verbal attack on a Black student in that meeting, and comments referencing LGBTQ populations. And now, with the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin, we are once again reminded that injustice persists in our society. We still have so much work to do.
First, we want to make sure that as our community reacts to this news, students, faculty, and staff have the support that they need. You can find a comprehensive and timely list of resources for community members on this myUMBC page. We will also continue to share links to any upcoming care and support events. Please reach out to one another and, if you need help, ask for it.
While the close occurrence of these two reports of hate and bias in our community is troubling, we deeply appreciate the courage of the victims and witnesses who came forward to report these acts. Thank you for putting your trust in the University to investigate these reports and provide support for all affected.
Most importantly, we must all continue to commit ourselves to doing the work of equity and inclusion on our campus and beyond. Thank you for everything you do to support this work. This is truly the DNA of UMBC and what keeps hope alive.
President Freeman Hrabowski
Provost Philip Rous
Mehrshad Devin, President, Student Government Association
Orianne Smith, President, Faculty Senate
Joel Tyson, President, Graduate Student Association
Melody Wright, M.A. '21, President, Non-Exempt Staff Senate
Jess Wyatt, President, Professional Staff Senate
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To Our Students, Faculty, and Staff, Many in our community are shocked and saddened by recent events, both on and off campus. This week, UMBC Police are investigating two reports of hate-bias...
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UMBC Community News
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Fri, 19 Nov 2021 17:25:31 -0500
Fri, 19 Nov 2021 17:26:35 -0500
Care and Support in Challenging Times
We know this week has been challenging for our campus community. As the UMBC community reacts to news and responds to events, we want to make sure that students, faculty, and staff have the support that they need.
Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging (i3b)
Website
i3b@umbc.edu
On November 19, 4 to 5 p.m., i3b invites impacted students, staff, and faculty to the Mosaic Center (The Commons: 2B23 on the 2nd floor of The Commons) for drop-in support and community care.
Retriever Integrated Health/Counseling
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.: 410-455-2542
If you are finding recent incidents triggering and need additional mental health crisis resources, visit the Counseling Center’s crisis resource page.
The After-Hours Support Line helps connect students to resources: 410-455-3230.
Togetherall is a free online peer-to-peer community for students, and offers a safe and anonymous mental health support space 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Office of Equity and Inclusion
UMBC’s Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) is responsible for promoting and coordinating the University’s core values of inclusive excellence, equity, diversity. OEI has primary responsibility for managing UMBC’s efforts related to Title IX as well as other civil rights issues, including discrimination, harassment, hate and bias.
Community members may report instances of hate or bias through the Office of Equity and Inclusion’s confidential reporting form.
Faculty and Staff Support
Faculty and staff can access support through the Employee Assistance Program.
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We know this week has been challenging for our campus community. As the UMBC community reacts to news and responds to events, we want to make sure that students, faculty, and staff have the...
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UMBC Community News
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Fri, 19 Nov 2021 16:23:21 -0500
Fri, 19 Nov 2021 16:23:31 -0500
Check out the AOK Library!
Are you ready to prep for exams? Need a quiet place to work on assignments? Looking for resources for your upcoming research paper? Look no further than UMBC’s own
Albin O. Kuhn Library!
Loaded with comfy seating, yummy food, caffeine, helpful staff, as well as peace and quiet and a beautiful view, the AOK Library is the perfect spot for all your academic needs.
Fuel up and get your study on!
Whether it be a painstakingly early morning or a super late night, energy is a must! Thank goodness for
Einstein’s! You can grab a coffee, quick bite, or whatever you fancy—they’re located in the main atrium.
If you need a place to study, head over to the
Retriever Learning Center (RLC) on the first floor- UMBC's 24-hour study space for lively group study, scholarly discussion, collaboration, and academic coaching.
What if you have a presentation for a class coming up? The AOK also has a
Presentation Practice Room designed to help you prep for your presentations. The One-Button Studio app lets you record and playback your talk, which is great for helping you get that extra practice!
Need help in a class? Get assistance from the ultimate study partner, a tutor!
You’re never truly alone at AOK. If you’re struggling in a Math or Science course, stop by the
Math and Science Tutoring Center and the
Computing Success Center, both of which are available for drop-in tutoring and in-depth tutoring appointments. And for all your writing needs, check out the
Writing Center! The Writing Center offers scheduled appointments and is a space dedicated to helping UMBC students with writing in any class at any stage of the writing process. All are located on the first floor of the Library with online tutoring available as well!
Wait, what about help with research? We got you covered! At the AOK, you’ll have access to:
- More than 1.1 million books, remote access to electronic journals, and access to more than 100 databases!
- Access to e-book collections at UMBC and e-book sources online
- More than 12,000 CDs and DVDs, ranging from documentaries and classical music to current U.S. and foreign films and popular music
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Subject librarians who can provide personalized, one-on-one research appointments to help you navigate library resources so you can get organized and get your work done!
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Interlibrary Loan (ILL) – Need a book that UMBC doesn’t have? No problem! ILL lets you request books and other materials from other institutions connected to UMBC’s network and have them sent to you, free of charge!
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Special Collections - The Special Collections department collects materials of enduring historical and cultural value -- housing, preserving, and making accessible materials that are original, rare, unique, fragile, and archival. Contact the staff for on-site as well as remote support!
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The Library Gallery – The Library Gallery presents exhibitions and public programs drawn from UMBC’s Special Collections, emphasizing the history and cultural impact of photography. There’s also lectures, and educational programming sponsored by campus groups throughout the year. Check out current and upcoming exhibitions this year!
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Loaner Laptop Program - This program provides the UMBC community access to Mac, Windows, and Chrome laptops on a first-come, first-served temporary basis.
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Digital Media Lab- The Digital Media Lab provides all UMBC students with tools to create and edit new and re-use existing audio, video, and graphic design objects. There’s equipment available for use within in the space itself and some that can be checked out. Equipment and software are available on a self-serve basis, with access to staff assistance, manuals and online help!
As final exams and the end of the semester draw closer, make sure you check out all the resources available to you in the AOK Library! Follow the
AOK Library on myUMBC and check the
website for any updates! Have more questions? Go visit the staff in the library or use the “Ask a Librarian” chat on the website!
Now go crush the end of the semester! We know you’ll be AOK!!
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Are you ready to prep for exams? Need a quiet place to work on assignments? Looking for resources for your upcoming research paper? Look no further than UMBC’s own Albin O. Kuhn Library! ...
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UMBC Extra Credit
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UMBC Extra Credit
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Thu, 18 Nov 2021 16:30:22 -0500
Concern and Support for UMBC’s Muslim Community
Dear UMBC Community,
We are deeply saddened and concerned to learn about a reported hate-bias crime in The Commons Tuesday night. A UMBC student reported that she was approached by an unknown male who attempted to pull off her hijab, the traditional headscarf worn by some Muslim women.
Acts such as this have no place at UMBC. Hate and bias are counter to UMBC values, especially our community’s deep commitment to diversity and inclusion and welcoming people of all backgrounds.
UMBC Police are investigating, and the Division of Student Affairs and Office of Equity and Inclusion have reached out to the student, as well as other students impacted, including the Muslim Student Association, Student Government Association (SGA), and the Graduate Student Association (GSA).
The UMBC community is invited to a community care space for support and dialogue on Monday, November 22, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The event will be held in the Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being at The Center for Well-Being, and is a collaboration between Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging (i3b); the Muslim Student Association; SGA; and GSA. Counselors from Retriever Integrated Health will be on-site to provide additional support as needed. Imam Yaseen Shaikh from The Islamic Society of Baltimore and Rabbi Jeremy Fierstein, chair of the UMBC Religious Council, will also be on-site to provide additional support as needed. The front patio of The Center for Well-Being will be used as a back-up location if needed to accommodate COVID-19 capacity expectations. The Center for Well-Being is located on Center Road between Chesapeake and Susquehanna Halls.
Students in need of support can contact i3b at i3b@umbc.edu. Faculty and staff can access support through the Employee Assistance Program.
We are committed to offering a safe and inclusive campus environment where community members and visitors of all backgrounds feel that they belong.
Community members, including students, faculty, staff, and alumni, can always report concerns using this confidential reporting form. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call UMBC Police at 410-455-5555.
It is essential that we continue to work together in building a caring, equitable, and inclusive community. Thank you for your commitment to inclusive excellence at UMBC.
President Freeman Hrabowski
Provost Philip Rous
Mehrshad Devin, President, Student Government Association
Orianne Smith, President, Faculty Senate
Joel Tyson, President, Graduate Student Association
Melody Wright, M.A. '21, President, Non-Exempt Staff Senate
Jess Wyatt, President, Professional Staff Senate
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Dear UMBC Community, We are deeply saddened and concerned to learn about a reported hate-bias crime in The Commons Tuesday night. A UMBC student reported that she was approached by an unknown...
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diversityandinclusion
UMBC Community News
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UMBC Community News
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Thu, 18 Nov 2021 14:30:40 -0500
Fri, 19 Nov 2021 17:16:01 -0500
