Katy Guerrero: Global Citizenship in the Foodie Life
Throughout my life, food has been one of the main ways for me to connect to the various the cultures throughout the world. I live in a small town in Ohio, and the diversity of the city is rather limited. Because of this, the most common way to become familiar with a new culture was through food. I grew up in a mixed family, one side being very American, (specifically from the South), while the other is boisterously Hispanic. Because of my own background, I have been introduced to many different varieties of foods, ranging from the Southern commonalities of hushpuppies, grits, country ham, chicken fried steak, etc. as well as many Hispanic foods such as tamales, bunuelos, enchiladas, tacos, tres leches, (the list goes on). Both my parents wanted to introduce me to their own cultures and backgrounds, but to a multitude of others as well. Cuisine and the culture surrounding it has allowed me to become enlightened to some of the various cultures around the world, enabling me to explore the different societies and become a global citizen by experiencing multiple lifestyles through their cuisine.