Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

First Advisor

Karen Nordstrom

Second Advisor

Teresa Mares

Keywords

Culturally Appropriate Food, Local Food Movement, Immigration, Food and Culture

Abstract

Burlington Vermont, and the greater Burlington area has a rich history of immigration which often gets undermined within the discussions of the local food system and locavore movements (Bose, 2014). The locavore movement itself, is often viewed as being associated with privilege, leaving certain populations excluded from participating (Chou, 2018; Morland, 2009). The locavore movement, though often thought of as a trendy and innovative concept, has really been around throughout Burlington’s history in respect to people simply participating in the local food system. Though this participation in the local food system has taken different shapes throughout history, the localized food system is not actually a new concept. Historically, Immigrant populations have had a notable level influence on, and participation within the local food system in Burlington (McCullum, 2014). This research is aimed at bringing to light, the scale of influence that Burlington’s immigrant history has had on the local food system which we see today. Through a series of interviews, I have developed a podcast Queen City Culture, available at www.anchor.fm/queencityculture, and on most podcast streaming sites, for people to access and listen to. These interviews involve people with different affiliations and perspectives on the local food system and immigration in a historic context and as it stands today. This series helps to depict immigration in Burlington, and ways in which immigrant communities contribute a local food system, different from the conventional. This project brought to light important aspects of the new American community and ways in which they interact with the food system. This research is important for anyone participating within the Burlington food system to acknowledge and be aware of, because to be unaware of these communities and their contribution would be a disadvantage to the cohesivity and overall progress of our community. By providing this information to the general public, I hope that local consumers build an awareness, and that the support for the new American producers may grow, and that their stories are more widely heard.

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