I am a first-generation Filipino-American in my family. Though I was born and raised in the United States, my childhood meals were often influenced by my parents’ culture. One food that was very present in our lives was coconut. I remember coconuts being incorporated into many of my meals, mainly desserts. We could have the coconut meat prepared different ways: shredded into our food, garnished on top of our food, or scraped straight from the shell. We often drank the coconut water as well. Family parties often included buying a bunch of coconuts to cut and prepare just seconds before consuming them. My mother even used coconut oil for my hair and skin as a child, since it is so full of nutrients. When I have visited the Philippines, I saw …show more content…
Community markets and fruit stands sell coconut juice for tourists or locals. Vendors also sell wherever they can: schools, parks, malls, business, or anywhere with potential buyers. However, the cycle of people demanding coconuts and the Philippines producing large amounts of coconuts result in the country’s coconut industry to be oriented around its exports. The coconut is one of the top exports of the Philippines. According to an article by Tiffany Ap of CNN, Philippine coconut exports are growing at a massive rate (Ap). The Philippines must catch up to the world’s demand to have this superfood. Many global companies accept and sell coconuts that have been exported by the Philippines. The United Coconut Associations of the Philippines (UCAP) listed the top coconut product exports in the month of December of 2015. The top nine items were virgin coconut oil, coconut water, coco milk powder, glycerin, bath soap, coconut milk liquid, laundry soap, fresh coconuts, and coco flour. The top three products yielded more than one billion dollars for the country. These products go to countries like the United States, Malaysia, North Korea, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Myanmar, China, and many more (“Performance of Ph 's Top Non-Traditional Coco Products Export in December 2015 - United Coconut Associations of the Philippines”). Some specific companies from the Philippines that export coconuts and coconut products include Celebes Coconut Corporation and JPEGR Drinks and Beverage Enterprises (“Coconut Exporters, Coconut Manufacturers, Food & Beverage Directory International B2B”). The PCA is the main authority in the coconut industry since the government controls it. Filipino farmers harvest their coconuts, either on their own or using hired help, to have their produce shipped around the
However, some generalizations can be made to help provide culturally competent care to this group of people. One of the most significant factors of culture for Pacific Islanders is family. Family help care for each other and the family should be included in health care decisions. Health is viewed as being in balance and harmony, and illness viewed as an imbalance. Prayer is important aspect of health and healing. Traditionally, in the Pacific Islander culture having a very large body was a sign of health, wealth, and prestige. Just like many cultures food is used in ceremonies and social function. Certain foods are associated with the ethnic identity of the Pacific Islander cultures, these include: breadfruit, green bananas, yams, fruit, fish and coconuts to name a few (Sobralske, 2006, p.
Rendón, Dr. Oscar Hugo Pedraza. “Quality of the Avocado Exporting Companies to the United States of America,” World Avocado Congress. Abstracts A-48 V. 2003.
Even though CHI-50 was intended to be an introduction to Chicana/o Culture and was not comprehensive, the major factors that best define this culture are values, norms, symbols, and communication forms. All these major factors were covered in depth, including the cultural productions such as the manifests in art, poetry, and music. In my opinion, we could have delve deeper and made more connections between the factors. As I learned more of Chicana/o Culture, I felt that religion took a major part in establishing and defining the Chicana/o Culture we know now. Religion was intimately tied with many of the major factors, since this is what most of the Chicanos grow up experiencing.
People of Filipino decent have a rich culture that emphasizes tradition and family; as well as allows for a political and sociocultural movement for Filipino immigrants in their new countries. Theme one focuses on the concept of culture and how Filipinos present themselves as a race. Although they reside in the United States, it was rare for most informants to identify themselves as Americans. Rather, they viewed their culture as being morally correct and righteous and American culture as deviant or aberrant. Explicitly, the issue with Filipinos in terms of American culture was their concept of family and the U.S. families’ lac k thereof. They argue that in their culture family is a dominant aspect that preaches assistance and care for one another. Additionally, they disagree with the ideology that American families have in terms they raise their children. Filipinos take care of their children and continue to offer them resources and shelter regardless of their age. Conversely, they believe that American parents lack in care for their children and ultimately get the same from them in return. Filipino culture also emphasizes gender roles and restrictions, particularly female gender. Females are expected to take on the role of the
The Fijians diets are mostly fresh since all of their meats and fruit is grown on their islands. For breakfast they eat eggs which they get from their chickens and fresh fruit such as pineapple, papaya, and coconut which they receive from plants they grow. Next, their lunches consist of sandwiches and vegetables and their dinners are full of fish that they caught that day. While the Fijians eat fresh and from food not processed in factories, Americans constantly eat food they purchase in a supermarket that is processed and full of chemicals and dyes. Americans buy their eggs, fruit , and meat from a supermarket which they do not fully know where it comes from. The United States is a first-world country and due to this that is why Americans buy their food in a supermarket. As a country develops some of the fundamental aspects of the country develop as well and that is why the food situation is the way it is in the United States. Daily lives also vary due to two reasons; Fiji is an island country where the United States is not and that Fiji is a third-world country where the United States in a first-world country. In the United States most people wake up to a blaring alarm on their cellphones. However, the loud obnoxious sounds of chickens at five a.m. is the Fijians wake up call. Also, in the Fijians culture women are viewed
The most important idea in Allen J. Christenson's Popol Vuh is maize or often known as corn but to the Maya culture, corn has a bigger significance than just food. Corn has played a important role in empires, civilizations and people for thousands of years. The Maya have a lot of admiration to corn as a cornerstone of their culture and spirituality. Maize was so highly admired that the Mayans had a Maize God. Corn was a gift from the Gods and cultivating it and planting it was a sacred duty it was a really important process in which corn was to be planted and harvested. Temples were built for Maize Gods and corn was used to nourish workers and kings. To the Mayans, the Gods made humankind out of maize. The Maya also considered this crop to be the vegetation of life in order to eat and grow. This symbolized the fragile nature of corn, a crop that depends entirely on human cultivation for its reproduction with such deep meaning and that has deep culture and meaning.
Coconut oil has been a part of society for centuries and will continue to flourish in the African American community. Coconut oil is known for penetrating the hair shafts, preventing the hair from shrinkage/swelling, and most importantly preventing the hair from becoming damaged. Today, there has been an outbreak of African American women accepting their natural roots and ending the cycle of getting a relaxer every other month. Coconut oil has found itself in many different hair companies because of its great qualities; As I Am, Dark and Lovely, Shea Moisture, and even Suave. Coconut oil has become a prominent symbol in the black community to embrace their natural hair, create small businesses, and feel great by going against societies beauty standards.
The Filipino American culture is prevalent in the United States as it’s the second largest cultural minority. Discussed in this section are immigration, family structure including roles of men & women, and religious factors impacting the lifestyles of Filipino Americans. Bautista (2014) states “Many Filipino Americans may look Asian American; however, their views on culture and traditions are not the same, insofar as influences derive mostly from Spain and the United States” (p.20).
Reading Catfish and Mandala reminded me of my cultural closeness through food. Due to being bi-ethnic I learned how to cook food from both my ethnicities, however there were times when I found myself acting like a foreigner towards certain dishes. A prime example was when I had Chitlins or pig intestines. I had eaten menudo, thanks to my Hispanic mother and this was the first time I had Chitlins, an African American dish via my paternal grandmother. Unlike Menudo, which to me has an appetizing smell and taste, Chitlins were a gray stringy putrid smelling dish. Remembering the utter dislike I obtained from that African American dish, reminded me of Pham’s experience with Vietnamese food. While there are some dishes people can’t stand, most usually embrace a dish from their culture and that helps ease some of the pain or discomfort.
The cuisine of Peru is a combination between traditional Amerindian cooking and the cuisine of the Spanish conquistadors that came into the country in the 16th century. Maize, beans, and potatoes were the standard ingredients of the pre-Columbian cooking in Peru. These three staples remain an integral part of Peruvian cuisine and were ex...
I was born in one of the countries in Asia, and our staple food is rice. Rice is always at the center of the table, and the rest of the viand surrounds it. Here in the United States, my household still eat rice every day, accompanied by cooked vegetables and meat. My food choices are influenced by culture and family. Vegetables and fruits of my choice are abundant at the International Market and other Asian grocery stores. Vegetables are also available for a cheaper price at the farmers market. I myself buy these foods to ensure its freshness, prepare and cook them for my entire family. Inspired by Asian and American cuisine, our food is prepared with variety of cooking styles; such as dry like barbecues, baked and fried, with sauce
With its tropical climate, heavy rainfall, and naturally fertile soil, the Philippines is predominantly agricultural. It also has other industries that help boosts its economy: textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, electronics assembly, petroleum refining, and fishing.
The first inhabitants of the Philippines arrived from the land bridge from Asia over 150,000 years ago. Throughout the years, migrants from Indonesia, Malaysia, and other parts of Asia made their way to the islands of this country. In the fourteenth century, the Arabs arrived and soon began a long tradition of Islam. Many Muslims are still living in the Philippines today.
Therefore, the way the producers get the cocoa to the market is by after the beans are dried and packed into sacks, the farmer sells to a buying station or local agent. The buyer then transports the bags to an exporting company. The exporting company inspects the cocoa and places it into plastic bags. The cocoa is trucked to the exporter’s
The forest not only hides man's enemies but it’s full of man's medicine, healing power and food. ~African Proverb.