Our research project aims to: 

1. Explore critically and creatively the phenomenon of food shaming at Canadian school through the eyes of Asian immigrant children and family members;

2. Identify family needs toward more inclusive and equitable school food environments. 

There is very little research in Canada about children’s experience at school lunchtime and its reverberating impacts on family food practice. In particular, it remains largely understudied how Asian families, whose food culture has historically embodied “Otherness” in the White imaginary, navigate through Canadian school food system. 

We will focus on three Asian groups (Chinese, Indian and Filipino) that account for 41.4% of newcomers to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in 2016. Prior to this study, we did an arts-informed pilot study with Japanese immigrant children and their parents in the GTA [insert link]. 

This project operates in 2 phases: 

Phase 1 takes place between April to June 2021 and involves up to 21 youth (16-25 years old) who self-identify with one of the 3 Asian groups. We will interview youth about their childhood experiences of bringing food from their cultural background (i.e., Chinese, Indian or Filipino food) to school for lunch. 

Phase 2 involves Grade 4-6 children (8-12 years old) who self-identify with one of the 3 Asian groups and their family members who pack the child’s lunch to school. Children will join an art workshop guided by an artist and create their school lunch by drawing and collage. We will also ask family members to join an arts-informed group interview using collage.