Food diversity
Communicating About Food in Today's Diverse World
Communicating About Food in Today's Diverse World
-Have you ever needed to communicate ideas about food and nutrition to a family with a culture very different from your own?
-Do you find yourself teaching people from an assortment of backgrounds --people who have important, lasting ties to their own cultures?
-Are you called upon to provide guidance to people who have recently joined the community, for whom everything -- language, living accommodations, and economic status -- is new and different?
Nutrition educators face challenges like these more and more every day. In a multicultural world, opportunities abound for knowledge to be shared among educators, families, and communities. This begins with understanding the many ways in which seemingly different cultures are alike, including foods eaten, occasions celebrated, and traditions followed. It also involves fostering respect for the great variety in cultures and developing an appreciation for what makes people different. Above all, it means celebrating diversity -- in nutrition, as in so many other aspects of life.
Our Nation's Changing Culture
There's no doubt about it -- the face of our nation is changing. The population of the United States is diverse, and this racial and ethnic diversity is growing rapidly. In fact, according to the 1990 census, almost one in four Americans has African, Asian, Hispanic, or American Indian ancestry. That figure is projected to rise to almost one in three by the year 2020 and almost one in two by the year 2050.
Within each of these broad ethnic groups, there are people of many different backgrounds and cultures. For example, there are 530 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native nations, and that doesn't include the scores of other American Indian nations that are not recognized. The 1990 census lists over 60 European, Asian, African, North American, Caribbean, Central American, and South
Communicating About Food in Today's Diverse World
-Have you ever needed to communicate ideas about food and nutrition to a family with a culture very different from your own?
-Do you find yourself teaching people from an assortment of backgrounds --people who have important, lasting ties to their own cultures?
-Are you called upon to provide guidance to people who have recently joined the community, for whom everything -- language, living accommodations, and economic status -- is new and different?
Nutrition educators face challenges like these more and more every day. In a multicultural world, opportunities abound for knowledge to be shared among educators, families, and communities. This begins with understanding the many ways in which seemingly different cultures are alike, including foods eaten, occasions celebrated, and traditions followed. It also involves fostering respect for the great variety in cultures and developing an appreciation for what makes people different. Above all, it means celebrating diversity -- in nutrition, as in so many other aspects of life.
Our Nation's Changing Culture
There's no doubt about it -- the face of our nation is changing. The population of the United States is diverse, and this racial and ethnic diversity is growing rapidly. In fact, according to the 1990 census, almost one in four Americans has African, Asian, Hispanic, or American Indian ancestry. That figure is projected to rise to almost one in three by the year 2020 and almost one in two by the year 2050.
Within each of these broad ethnic groups, there are people of many different backgrounds and cultures. For example, there are 530 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native nations, and that doesn't include the scores of other American Indian nations that are not recognized. The 1990 census lists over 60 European, Asian, African, North American, Caribbean, Central American, and South