Multiculturalism and Food

In trying to find something that I could connect British identity and multicultural identity with, I decided on something I deeply connect with in my life: food.  Since being on this study abroad, I’ve found that the cuisine is something unique about Great Britain, especially London, since it is so diverse.  Initially, when I told my friends and family I would be coming to England on this program, no one rushed to tell me how good the food was here, like one would say when going somewhere like Italy.  On the contrary, I was told England isn’t really known for their British food, except for fish and chips.  In London, when I walk down a street, I find all kinds of food, from Indian, to Turkish, from Chinese, to Italian, even Mexican, and various others.  In class, we talked about the multicultural diversity found in London, and I believe that that just like the food, multiculturalism is a huge part of British identity. 

In our class discussion, the question was raised, “Can British identity evolve to include poles, blacks, Indians, Muslims, etc.?”  I think that to answer this question, we have to distinguish how these other nationalities would be included.  I think that they could be included in time, but I also think that there is danger of these ethnic groups losing their own identity.  Just like their food, it is unique, and their culture makes them who they are.  A few semesters ago, I took a multicultural education class in which we discussed the differences between acculturation and assimilation.  Acculturation is the process of joining another culture while still maintaining their own, while assimilation is joining another culture and losing their original culture.  Would these minority groups become assimilated into British identity, or will they maintain their own identity and still be seen as an “other”? Or could these groups find a balance and join the British culture, becoming a part of their identity, yet still maintain their own?  I think about our own culture in America and how we typically expect immigrants and other minority groups to conform to our culture, and especially to our language.  Although I wonder if it would be the same issue for Britons, I think that positive, progressive acculturation is possible. As an example of this with food, a lot of kebab shops here also sell fish and chips, which is obviously not a middle eastern food, which allows for the option of either British or exotic food. Another example is vindaloo, a popular Indian inspired British dish.  The two can come together in a way that doesn’t take away from one culture, yet adds to another.

An article from 2011 tells us that London encompasses 270 nationalities and 300 languages.  In the documentary “Exploring Multiculturalism” we watched for class, a girl said “I wish we could see being different as a good thing.”  I also agree that multiculturalism should be seen as a positive.  In terms of food, where would Britain be without Turkish kebabs or Korean bibimbap, Brazilian feijoada, or Pad Thai? I for one am glad British identity includes these other cultures and their cuisine.