From the Off-The-Deep-End Files:

Had my mother seen this during my childhood, she would have laughed. I probably would have laughed. Actually, come to think of it, my mom would probably still get a good laugh out of this one. Time for an e-mail.

You see, I have always been a picky eater. It wasn't until my college years that I really began to become more adventurous with food, whether from my own varied racial/ethnic background or anybody else's. Maybe my childhood aversion to onions, turkey stuffing and green peppers was, in fact a sign of racial self-loathing due to my mixed caucasian and hispanic heritage.

Or maybe I was just a picky kid with a penchant for bland food.

You decide.



From BBC NEWS, 7 July 2008:

Nursery alert for racist toddlers

Nursery staff must be alert for racist remarks among toddlers, a government-sponsored agency report has said.

The National Children's Bureau guide, Young Children and Racial Justice, is meant to help identify potentially racist attitudes in youngsters.

It is an umbrella group for bodies working with children and young people in England and Northern Ireland.

The 336-page guide said staff should investigate the reasons behind apparent racial prejudice.

Name-calling

It said: "A child may react negatively to a culinary tradition other than their own by saying, 'Yuck!"'.

That may indicate a lack of familiarity with that particular food, or "more seriously a reaction to a food associated with people from a particular ethnic or cultural community".

It also warned: "Racist incidents among children in early-years settings tend to be around name-calling, casual thoughtless comments and peer group relationships."

Full Article Here


I wonder how these people would interpret a child's dislike of foods from her own culture?

Amy also has some worthwhile things to say on the matter.