"Whiteness and Farmers Markets", Alkon & McCullen
This article is written at a high academic level which makes me believe the authors thoughts are separated from actual disparities related to the perception of whiteness in market culture.
US capitalism has created many levels of shopping, catering to each person's purchasing abilities. We are all free to spend as we please without regard to real income. Though, in some cases farmers markets are managed by white entrepreneurs, this is not the case in large metro cities, such as the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia. Our society allows us to shop at retailers and markets of our own choice. It would be wrong to go into the metro soul food restaurants and complain there needs to be more white people supporting these great eateries. They are catering to local demands, just like the farmer markets.
If a farmer's market aligns with white consumer tastes, so be it. This business is filling a need in order for this business to remain sustainable.
Today I can see many changes from this outdated thinking, as our palettes become more educated, we are open to unique and much different food choices. Focusing on one class of people or nationally only helps to continue promote racist ideas, that keeps our society believing prejudice ideas.
Economic barriers will affect how we perceive food opportunities for the underprivileged populations, as we assist this segment to creating a more diverse open food market.
1 comment:
Honestly, I find your post refreshing compared to the article. I felt they were nitpicking for racism considering the census population (including students) was White (70%), Asian American (18%), Latino (9.6%) and African-American (2.3%). Students made up half of the Latino and African American communities and 95% of the Asian American community. Students don't often frequent farmers markets so it makes sense that at the market only 4% are Latino and 1.5% are African American.
I guess what put me off was the statement "to say that the Davis farmers market community is about families (rather than students) is to say that it is about whites and not people of color" really rubbed me wrong. Like you've pointed out, places cater to their public and consumers. And a majority of the town was white, with most of the non-white community being students who aren't the primary consumers of the farmer's market.
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