Sponsored Page Asian Americans and the Metro Detroit Food Justice Movement By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, MIAsian As food justice activism and urban farming make strides in metro-Detroit, Asian Americans are often mistaken for not having food insecurity issues. They face challenges in sourcing culturally relevant foods, chronic health issues exacerbated by poor diet, and cultural appropriation. Bernardo talked of the challenges he faced recently when making kare-kare, a traditional peanut oxtail stew from the Philippines with eggplants, long beans, and bok choi. After going to several different retailers, grocery stores, and the farmers market, he was unable to find the ingredients needed to make this one dish. He finally located the ingredi- ents at an Asian supermarket outside of the area. “We need these foods to maintain our sense of self and to preserve our sense of culture and tradition,” said Bernardo. “Because they feed us in ways that ordinary food can’t. There’s an aspect around being nourished by one’s own cultural traditions and food ways.” Bernardo came to understand the importance of being able to access culturally relevant foods while working in his family’s grocery store on Detroit’s west side. “We sold a lot of culturally relevant food that gener- ally was not available in stores around us,” said Bernardo. “We catered to the Philippine diasporic community that worked at Grace Hospital. I came to find out a lot of staples we held closely as cul- tural traditions were also shared by other people in that part of Northwest Detroit, including the African-Caribbean community and West African community.” Once communities begin to make connections with other communities, food justice issues begin relat- ing to other issues. “You start to see the interconnections between food and other systemic issues, including regulating immigration policy, the over policing of communi- ties of color, pollution, water shut offs, [and] access to health care,” Bernardo said. Another food justice issue particularly important for Asian Americans is the prevalence of chronic health NEHA SHAH “Before it was even called urban gardening, my parents kept a garden in the backyard since I was a kid,” said Shane Bernardo, a life-long Detroit resident and a consultant, facilitator and speaker actively involved in food justice. “So I learned at a very early age how strongly my family identified with our cultural roots and our traditional foods, and that informed how we identify as people in the diaspora.” MELISSA JONES, FOODTALKSDC While the food justice movement includes issues surrounding food insecurity, food sovereignty, and ethical growing, a particularly important challenge for Asian Americans in the metro-Detroit area is sourcing culturally relevant food. Shane Bernardo diseases like diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascu- lar disease, especially among Filipino and Indian American communities. These health problems are often exacerbated by consuming processed foods, often from gas stations and party stores, as well as younger generations moving away from cultural and traditional foods. Another important food justice issue is the appro- priation of Asian American food by trendy restau- rateurs which contributes to the gentrification of Detroit, driving up the costs to live in that commu- nity and eat that food. Other Asian Americans in the food justice move- ment are innovating to combine local food sourcing and sustainable growing practices with foods from or inspired by their Asian heritage such as Dorothy Hernandez of Sarap Detroit, Meiko Krishok of Guerilla Food Detroit, the Bengali American women of Bandhu Gardens, and Andy Chae of Fisheye Farm. At the individual level, people celebrate their culture by eating traditional foods grown in their own back- yard and urban gardens. “I used to live in Hamtramck and I would often be awestruck by how many Bengali and South Asian homes would have these trellises for bitter melon and other vegetables that were synonymous with their cultures,” said Bernardo. “I also used to volun- teer for Detroit Asian Youth (DAY) Project and a lot of our youth member homes would have fairly size- able gardens. I remember one student had daikons and ducks.” Community gardens are also a way to bring young- er generations into the food justice movement. At the Ann Arbor Public Schools, Neha Shah has planted a school learning garden, using it to engage students to learn about healthy eating, food justice, ecology, art, protecting the environment, problem Ann Arbor Public School students at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School King Learning Garden solving and teamwork. The garden also provides produce that is shared with the school community. “After lessons taught in my classroom and in our school garden, you see that students care about our environment more than they realize,” said Shah. “They feel connected to the earth and responsible for the environment around them. All students deserve equal access to healthy foods regardless of their class, social status, and race. Those connections are vital to understanding food.” The garden also gives students opportunities to access the rich agricultural heritage and histories of cultures around the world, including their own heritage and history. “There are many cultural traditions and rich history that Asian Americans give to the world,” said Shah. “There is an agricultural history that needs to be told. Traditional food and farming knowledge can be accessed and passed down from generation to generation keeping the traditions and stories alive. Sharing that with people is important. Food sover- eignty and land loss exist everywhere and affect people of all colors.” The sustainable garden is a microcosm of what is possible as more people bring their different backgrounds and approaches to the food justice movement. “The industrialization of our food system is harm- ing our bodies, our land and environment, and our communities. Everyone has the right to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through eco- logically sound and sustainable methods. People need to have a say in where their food comes from, how it is produced, and how the systems in place are practiced,” said Shah. “The diversity of people planting the seeds and harvesting the foods to keep alive cultural traditions and nourish communi- ties around the country is growing. Preserving that is what will provide a true change in our current food system.” Shah encourages Asian Americans to get involved, “There are hundreds of community-oriented proj- ects across the greater-Detroit area. You can vol- unteer on farms, community gardens, and school gardens. There are wonderful organizations like Food Corps, Edible Schoolyard, Slow Food USA or our local chapter Slow Food Huron Valley, USDA, Michigan Farm to School, and so much more. There are wonderful classes at any level of higher educa- tion institutions. There are conferences and work- shops. There are the local food summit and com- munity forums and coalitions. U of M has a Food Literacy for All course available for free for the pub- lic currently this semester. There are many options. Just get involved! Don't talk about it. Do it!” About this series New Michigan Media (NMM) is the collaboration of the five leading minority media outlets in the region. The New Michigan Media Newspapers have a com- bined estimated reach of over 140,000 weekly, and include The Latino Press, The Michigan Chronicle, The Jewish News, The Michigan Korean Weekly, and The Arab American News. For the past 3 years, NMM has also been a member of the Detroit Journalism Cooperative (DJC), the unique collabora- tion between some of the leading media outlets of the region, which includes The Center for Michigan’s Bridge Magazine, Detroit Public Television, Michigan Public Radio, and WDET. Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the DJC aims to report about and create community engagement opportu- nities in Detroit and the region. The article you are reading is part of the DJC project of this year, and will appear in all the NMM member newspapers, as well as with the DJC partners.