While plant based diets (vegetarianism/veganism) seem like a more accessible option, the economic and resource availability make it difficult for people who come from low income communities. Growing up in Spanish Harlem I never really saw anyone like me having a plant based diet. I thought it was a “white people” thing. But as I learned about veganism in my college course On African American food in American pop culture I realized that vegetarianism and veganism is not just for a specific group of people.Through my research I realized how challenging it could be to start a new diet based on your socioeconomic class and food access. This blog will discuss if a plant based diet is truly accessible in low income communities.
After doing my research I realized that this regimen is not something you could easily switch to overnight, unless you have the time and money to make it happen. In low income communities like Spanish Harlem there are a lot of challenges. There are fast food chains, family owned businesses, and bodegas. Neighborhoods that contain these businesses are usually called “food swamps” or “food deserts” due to the lack of fresh produce. This map that I found in the blog Mapping Food Deserts (and Swamps) in Manhattan and the Bronx helps give a visual of how there is almost no access to healthy food.
This map demonstrates three different zip codes with the lowest incomes in New York. This also demonstrates how it is more affordable and convenient to get fast food or processed foods. Black and Latino people are the groups of people mainly living in these areas where temptation is almost everywhere.
In the video, youtuber Darryl Williams gives an overview of Spanish Harlem. As I was watching the youtube video I noticed that in the area that he recorded there was at least a bodega or a fast food place nearby. He also only mentions one place in Harlem so I can only assume that there are limited stores that support plant based diets. What I did find surprising was that there was a vegan store in my own neighborhood.
Another challenge is culture. In my Mexican family, food is a part of our identity similar to Black people and Soul Food. However, if I decide to adopt a vegan or vegetarian diet I would most likely face resistance from my family.
Social media influencer Tracye McQuirter https://www.instagram.com/byanygreens?igsh=bWtpdnRlcG03amFh
TikToker Nzinga Younghttps://www.tiktok.com/@veganzinga?_t=ZT-8s5PB6fojSl&_r=1
These two influencers on the other hand make it seem like a plant based diet is easy. Just briefly looking at their instagram and TikTok pages it seems as though they are from a different socioeconomic background. They probably have time, resources, and money to make this regimen seem possible. Which for people in low income areas, though, the reality is different.
While the idea of eating healthier seems great, it is not as simple as it seems. But I do think change is possible although I know it can take time. For now, I am still figuring out how to balance my interest in a plant based diet while living in a food-scare environment.
Work Cited:
Casmitjana, Jordi. “Why African American Women Are Going Vegan in Droves.” UnchainedTV, 29 Feb. 2024, unchainedtv.com/2024/02/29/why-african-american-women-are-going-vegan-in-droves/.
McQuirter, Tracye. Instagram, www.instagram.com/byanygreens?igsh=bWtpdnRlcG03amFh. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
Williams , Darryl. “NYC Neighborhood Tours | East Harlem x Uptown Veg (Vegan Food).” YouTube, 2021, youtu.be/o_WYrMHmx_s?si=tMuz5ordsS0YcWkM.
Young, Nzinga. “Make Your Day.” TikTok, www.tiktok.com/@veganzinga?_t=ZT-8s5PB6fojSl&_r=1. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
