20: Searching for Belongingness: Roti, Tortilla, and Tamales

In this episode, Ana Munoz, Jake Pineda and Renuka Khatiwada join Meredith Abarca in a conversation where they define the idea of “belongingness,” and its connection to food. From Mexico to the U.S, and Nepal, Ana, Jake, and Renuka weave personal stories on important foods in their life that represent belonging and finding a home through these foods. As author Grace Cho writes in her memoir Tastes Like War, it is not about the “what” of eating but the “whys.” This episode is part of EPFV special feature on “Culinary Heritage and Culinary Kinship”

Works Mentioned in the Episode:

Abarca, Meredith. 2022. “Elisa Licona Southern’s ‘Sobremesa the “Real” Meal.’” Www.youtube.com. 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3ma-A5_hT8.

Cho, Grace M. 2021. Tastes like War. Feminist Press at CUNY.

TED Talks 2022. 2022. “Food: A Third Culture Kid’s Sense of Identity. | Eric Pak | TEDxYouth@ISBangkok.” Www.youtube.com. February 22, 2022. https://youtu.be/yJIVqrqfZjU?si=AhVGaMYJMWF_35BG.

TED Talks 2023. n.d. “Soul Roots:A Journey into Ancestry, Belonging, Food & Love | Jennifer Griffith | TEDxYouth@ACSBeirut.” Www.youtube.com. Accessed November 29, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMz6d0i34LQ.

TEDx Talks. 2020. “How Food Can Be a Source of Intimacy, Identity, and Vulnerability | Jenny Dorsey | TEDxIVC.” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gsR4ihE8LQ.