Food Studies Matter, Meaning, Movement Case School Lunchtimes, Yukari Seko and Lina Rahouma

CASE SCHOOL AND LINA BENTO BOX AND MOTHERING AWAY FROM HOME JAPANESE IMMIGRANT FAMILIES EXPERIENCE AT CANADIAN SCHOOL LUNCHTIME is a critical health communication scholar and an Assistant Professor at Metropolitan University School of Professional Communication . Her program of research takes a participatory , approach to explore tion processes related to mental health , disabilities , and food practices . Her current research interrogates how Asian grant families navigate through institutionalized food AND LINA 223

in Canada including school , hospital and care facility . Lina graduated from the Nutrition and Food gram at Metropolitan University . She then completed a Professional Master Diploma in Dietetics through University , in partnership with The Hospital for Sick Children . She is passionate about food literacy , food security , and dren nutrition and health , and she has a deep interest in ing internationally and learning about different cultures and foods . Learning Outcomes After reading and discussing this text , students should be able to Describe how children lunches reflect family food values and their social locations . Identify potential impacts of food culture mismatch by children between home and school . Discuss potential ways of mitigating the negative impact of food culture mismatch . Name structural barriers in school food environments and propose creative solutions for fostering an inclusive and accepting climates in the classroom . INTRODUCTION Mom , can I bring a sandwich to school ?

224 SCHOOL Yes , of course . But can you tell me why ?

I thought you love rice ball . friend told me you brought sushi I hiding it ing lunch I ( vividly remember this conversation with my then son when he started senior kindergarten in the District School Growing up in japan and having migrated to Canada in my , it never occurred to me that my sons bento would attract unwanted attention at school . His bento box was typically packed with what we eat at home meat or fish dishes ( dinner leftovers ) cooked vegetables , and steamed rice ( often made into onigiri ) which I grew to and thought of as Yet what I thought was an ordinary lunch stood out at my sons school , leading him to feel embarrassed about his favorite foods . This poignant experience told me that children lunches at school closely reflect the complex realities of their families food landscapes . Indeed , food has profound symbolic values that shape one cultural identity . For immigrant families , packed lunches ( meals to be consumed outside the home ) can play a crucial role in maintaining their emotional ties to the home country and preserve their culinary identities across . However , as my sons request for sandwiches indicates , norms and expectations around what to eat at school differ , not only among family members , but also between the home and the school , and across food cultures . In this chapter we present a case about children of Japanese origin and their mothers focusing on their experiences during Canadian school . As a unique medium . The recollection of this dialogue was made in collaboration with Asahi , who was eight years old at the time of writing ( summer 2021 ) AND LINA 225

the private and the public food environments , children lunches at school provide a salient context in which to explore how families formulate food meanings and habits in and side the home . Our exploration the complex interplay between migration , gender , social class , school , and larger cultural discourses on healthy eating that determine what goes in the lunchbox . THE BENTO To help children engage in the study and openly express their thoughts on school lunchtime , we used an research method in combination with focus group interviews . A total of 16 children ( to 12 years old ) of Japanese background participated in two art workshops , facilitated by the researchers and a fine artist , and created art pieces about their typical school lunchboxes . Coloured paper , textiles , magazine pages , coloured pencils , markers , and other arts and crafts plies were provided to spark children creativity ( see Figure ) After creating their lunchboxes , the children were invited to join focus groups to talk about their experiences at school lunchtime . This data collection process transformed otherwise interview procedures into a more relaxed , enjoyable , and experience . Along with the children , we also conducted a total of four focus groups with 19 immigrant parents ( all mothers ) asking about their experience packing children lunches to school . After the preliminary analysis , we shared an animated video summarizing the findings and asked all participants for feedback . This engaging member checking process was . Results from this study are also reported in a paper published in Canadian Food Studies ( et al . 2021 ) While that work is distinct from what is presented here , the two pieces draw on the same body of research and there is some overlap between the two texts . 226 SCHOOL

invaluable for this study , to ensure analytic rigor and integrate voices of the children and mothers into the final analysis . Figure participants expressed their creativity in making their lunchboxes with various art and craft Mothering away from home through bento box All mothers who participated in the study reportedly took on responsibility for family feeding and indicated strong about home meals to their family . For the mothers , a good lunch means a lunch , namely , a nutritionally balanced , Wholesome meal containing diverse food items , including a staple , main and side dishes , and a substantial amount of vegetables . This perception was informed mainly by the mothers own experience growing up in japan , within the Japanese national food education program ( that Japanese meals as optimal for children AND LINA 227

developments Moving away from Japan , the mothers strived to prepare good bento for their children , in order to nourish their growth and food literacy . Some mothers reportedly taught selves how to home meals after having children in Canada , so as to feed their children properly ( Parent 05 ) Echoing the mothers , most children in our study said they ally bring Japanese foods to school . The majority of children artworks that their lunchboxes typically contain a variety of food items , including a staple ( mainly steamed rice ) a main dish ( mainly meat ) and vegetables ( Figure ) or meals such as curry on rice ( Figure ) Figure A participant crafted her lunch to school , which closely resembles a typical bento in Japan . Mah 2010 , 228 SCHOOL

Figure An artwork representing Japanese curry on rice in a thermal lunchbox , created by a participant . The speech bubble next to the person reads ! I dig in ! In many mothers perspectives , the preparation of good boxes is tied closely with the moral accountability of good that children future health All I do for the lunch stems from the truly nutritiously balanced lunch my mother made for me I believe moms should put their effort into lunch making for their mentary school kids The food practice during the mentary years affects her whole life , such as fussiness in food habits . Parent 03 ) the mothers perceived responsibility to prepare good lunches for children goes in tandem with their commitment to help children with good eating habits outside the home . Many mothers taught their children to finish the no that they can get enough nutrients and express for the food . Through everyday lunchbox making , these mothers hope to pass on to their children a Japanese culinary AND LINA 229

identity and normative understandings of personal ity for health . In return , most children internalized the mothers ideas of a healthy lunch and the moral imperative of good ing , and followed the to eat all foods served to them . Food culture mismatch Although their children lunchbox embodies the mothers active commitment to promote children health and , what were considered good lunches do not always fit within the school food environment . Some children in our study reportedly experience food culture between home and school . As the opening anecdote suggests , Japanese food items such as ( rice ball ) and nori ( seaweed ) occasionally attract unwanted attention at Canadian schools . When asked what their mates would say when they bring Japanese foods to school , one child described They sound like they re saying its gross , I dont like it . They re not my friends but the boys in the class They say like , ew , what is that ?

in like a gross ( Child 12 ) Other participants shared that some Japanese food items are seen unfamiliar or foreign , and thus become subject to mockery and negative comments . My son was told by his classmate , is bad for your I said to my son you should ask your mate if they have ever had it . My son actually asked next day and found that the classmate didnt know anything about sushi . They were like what is it ?

For them . et al . 2019 , 24 . sushi , also known as bag sushi , is a dish of sushi rice stuffed in a seasoned tofu pocket . 230 SCHOOL it was an unfamiliar brown thing that looked ( Parent 07 ) Additionally , both children and mothers noted that Canadian school food environments do not always accommodate their food practices . Due to the lack of access to microwave ovens , some of their favorite Japanese foods can not be packed in their lunchboxes , as these foods lose when they get cold . Some children bring thermal lunchboxes , but their favorite foods not always be packed because both the texture and are altered . Most children also reported that they often feel rushed to eat . As lunchtime is part of recess in many Canadian public schools , students actual seated lunchtime is limited to 15 to 20 minutes , which may not allow children to finish bento with a variety of food items . Responses to their children experiences at school varied among families . While many have maintained their preferred food practices , some mothers have reportedly modified their children bento to accommodate their children need to fit in at school . Shaming toward unhealthy food habits While some Japanese foods are seen as foreign and unfamiliar at Canadian schools , food shaming does not occur in a direction . Many participants , children and mothers alike , shared negative views toward other children unhealthy lunchboxes , ones that were perceived to be nutritionally unbalanced or junk foods . Some children commented that their mates bring unhealthy ( foods ) like burgers like sandwiches that have a lot of junk in it ( Child 07 ) Such descriptions do not fall into their definition of a healthy lunch . Other children reportedly felt puzzled by peers whose lunches do not consist diverse food items . One child commented that it was hard to AND LINA 231

understand why one of her classmates only had Tim for lunch for the whole year ( Child 03 ) To her , such a food habit does not represent healthy eating . Though relatively scarce in our data , negative perceptions toward unhealthy food habits were sometimes associated with lower socioeconomic status and financial constraints . One mother commented on her child classmate who brings prepackaged snacks for lunch I asked my daughter what the classmate eats during lunch time . My daughter said she fills with snacks . I was like really ?

Her parents are rich and still that ?

Parent 08 ) A link between low socioeconomic status and snacks ( prepackaged , processed foods ) is alluded to in this comment through the surprise the mother felt that parents would provide their children with unhealthy foods . It is worth noting that children reported that their teachers would quickly when food shaming took place in class , but comments on junk food rarely attracted the adults attention . CONCLUSION Children school lunchboxes embody multiple aspects of a ily food practice , including culinary traditions , family , social locations , and sociocultural discourses of healthy eating . For many of Japanese mothers in our study , everyday lunchbox making is a key aspect of mothering in and outside home , through which they demonstrate an active commitment to their children health and future . The lunchbox is also an important locus of cultural identity to materialize and instill Japanese food values within the children growing up in Canada . Children artworks and narratives indicated that the 232 SCHOOL

mothers norm of good lunch and eating is being successfully passed down to them . The mothers effort to preserve Japanese culinary traditions in their new country , however , sometimes caused food culture match between school and home environments . Home food that does not fit the dominant food norms of schools stands out , feelings of embarrassment and ostracization in children . As food is closely tied to ones identity , the bitter experience of lunchtime shaming at school could have a substantial impact of children and their families emotional . In order to embrace and nurture the diverse food identities that children bring to class , schools can engage with families from diverse food cultures and explore their priorities in helping children establish positive relationships to food . In so doing , the prevalence of disdain toward junk foods and a notion linking unhealthy eating with nomic status merit closer attention . Stigma toward unhealthy eating could be linked to culinary ethnocentrism or classism , which prioritizes one food practice over the others . A more inclusive , intersectional , and culturally appropriate discussion on healthy eating at schools can support children and families from diverse and socioeconomic backgrounds , while safely exploring and performing their food identities . Meantime , food should not become a taboo subject at school , resulting in children becoming afraid of offending one another . Instead , schools can offer an optimal space that helps children be exposed to many different food cultures and learn how to ate social and emotional boundaries around their food identities . AND LINA 233

Discussion Questions What are some of the ways in which a person may experience food culture mismatch between home and school ?

What are the potential ways of mitigating tive impacts of food culture mismatch children may experience between home and school ?

Take the role of students , educators , families , and school staff members , and discuss how to collaboratively approach this issue . Exercises Think back to your own school lunch and write a short essay by addressing the following questions What did your typical school lunch look like when you were at elementary school ?

Option draw or make an work of your typical school lunch . What was your favorite dish that you ate at school ?

Explain what makes this dish special for you . If you brought lunches to school , what shaped your lunches ?

How much of a factor were family food tradition , cost , nutrition , and your preference ?

Reflect on any notable experiences you may have had regarding the way your school lunchroom was set up . 234 SCHOOL Additional Resources Allison , A . 1991 . Japanese mothers and The as ideological state Anthropological Quarterly 64 ( Finally Getting White People Lunch Fresh Off the Boat Harman , and , 2019 . and migrant parents perspectives on preparing lunchboxes for their In Feeding Children Inside and Outside the Home Critical Perspectives . New York . References , and . Leung . 2019 . From the lunch table , to the family table A grounded theory approach to understanding urban adolescents experiences of food culture mismatch between school and home Ecology of food and nutrition 58 ( Mah , 2010 . governing food and public health in journal of ( Reeves , and Wong . 2021 . ing the bento box An inquiry into Japanese experience at Canadian school lunch Canadian Food Revue des sur ( AND LINA 235