The incident diminished equity because the church assumed
that everyone would enjoy eating the Nigerian food. There were no other options
for lunch. You either ate the rice and chicken or you would be hungry. A few
people had to buy food outside when they paid a registration fee that included
lunch.
The incident brought up feelings of irritation. Although I am
Nigerian I do not always want to eat Nigerian food. Also, I felt the
frustration of those who did not want to eat the food. I would feel that there
should have been more options for lunch and all those in attendance should have
been taken into consideration.
In order for this incident to turn into an opportunity for
greater equity, the church which hosted the event and the food coordinators
would have to change. The church must understand that not everyone who is
coming to the conference will be Nigerian. Those coordinating food must also
change the notion of constantly serving Nigerian food at their functions. The
church as a whole must be more open-minded to outsiders coming into their
church.
Sometimes it can be very difficult for certain church members to consider that not all members in the church like to eat the same kind of food regardless of their cultural background.For many church is a place of community and sometimes members of that community have a difficult time catering to members outside of the community. My mother also mention the very same problem in her church. You gave a great solution how the church can resolve this ongoing problem.
ReplyDeleteYou made some great points. A lot of times we do assume that society will settle for whatever, in you situation, the food. The church assumed that everyone attending the conference would like Nigerian food. As educators we have to make sure we are not assuming, we must make other options available for people.
ReplyDeletethat is a prime example of accommodation and respect for other's wishes, I am Black however, I am not a big fan collard greens and certain soul or southern food selections.
ReplyDeleteHello Dorcas,
ReplyDeleteThe story narrated in your post reassures me regarding my own feelings in similar yet distinct circumstances. In the French community, you had better serve French food if you don't want fires from hell to descend upon an event. Therefore, I totally relate with the predominantly Nigerian church in their inclination to serve Nigerian food despite different backgrounds making up the membership of the church. One has to decide what to provide and the decider/doer/responsible one is always wrong, as a rule.
Although it is true that a church may fare better in offering a greater variety of food samples (perhaps keep it American), it seems that it is human nature to doubt the authenticity of cultural elements or complain because it is "too cultural". Supposedly, people are eager to learn about diverse cultures as long as it does not infringe on their own comfort level. How is it possible to experience authentic culture if it has to be adapted to another culture's standards to even be exposed?
I really enjoyed your post because it talks about human nature disguised with a blanket of culture.