Reconstructing LocalFOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN AUDIENCE

@paigeyim

How is local presented?

VARIOUS DEFINITIONS AND IDEOLOGIES

Civileats.com

LIMITED REACH OF THE CURRENT MESSAGE

• Expensive: $150 dinner for two

• Purist: Cultural and practical component not considered

• Homogenous: American cuisine and crusaders

WHITENESS IN THE LOCAL FOOD MOVEMENT

THE OPPORTUNITY :: RECONSTRUCT LOCAL

• Demographic shift: By 2050, non-whites will represent 26% of the US population

• Universal: Reconstruct message for maximum reach and impact

FOCUS ::THE ASIAN AMERICAN AUDIENCE

5.6% OF US POPULATION

CURRENTLY

17.3MILLION

BY 2050

40.6MILLION

US MEDIAN HHI

$50,046

ASIANAMERICAN MEDIAN HHI

$68,780

IN COMPARISON TO

“My parents never hugged us or told us they

loved us but I know they cared about us

because no matter how tired my mom was from

work, she would spend hours in the kitchen

preparing homemade meals for us.”

Ang Lee’s 1994 Eat Drink, Woman movie

ASIAN AMERICAN DIET

• Fresh ingredients: Maximize health and taste

• Plant-based: Meat as a condiment

• Rice: Center component to be accompanied with a variety of dishes

• Based on quality and

value, sourcing is an

afterthought

• Ingredients speak for itself

• In no way is local used as a

way to define the food as

good

DEFINING GOOD FOOD

ASIAN VEGETABLES :: WHERE ARE THEY FROM?

According to USDA’s federal-state market

news, domestically sourced, Asian

vegetables come from New Jersey, New

York, California, Florida and Texas.

LOCAL FOOD INTERSECT WITH ASIAN FOOD VALUES

Local Asian

Proximity (from farm to table) Proximity (from stove to table)

Fresh Fresh

Taste/Quality Taste/Quality

Seasonal Seasonal

Combat diet-related disease Holistic health

Biodiversity (preserve

heirloom/specialty crops)Balanced diets

Ideological: social and environmental

Conservation Conservation

Community well being Longevity (future generation)

Skepticism of GMOs and chemicals Skepticism of Chinese food imports

CO-EXISTING VALUES

• Reimagine: Local food definitions in flux

• Open-minded: Be less rigid and open to new interpretations

• Commonality: Focus on intersecting values

THE WAY FORWARD ::A NEW CONVERSATION

• Reframe: Frame the message based on existing food values

• Diversify movement: Non-white groups as part of discourse

• Reinvent Local, New American food: Asian and local as part of the cuisine

Thanks.