Food Sovereignty Tours gave me the opportunity to learn
about the agricultural and culinary history of Oaxaca from indigenous experts. Learning
directly from a Zapotec professor, a local dairy farmer, and a community leader
whose qualifications came solely from working the land, could never be equaled
by reading book or in a classroom. Travel is education that should be
accessible for everyone.
When I applied for the program, I was worried about the
cost. It seemed so extravagant to spend so much on just two weeks. That was also
two weeks and a day of work I had to give up, in addition to the tuition fee of
the trip, and airfare from New York to Oaxaca. I decided to do it in lieu of a
school program which would have also been in Mexico, and started fundraising. Part
of the cost was covered by funds provided by the school where I’m studying public
policy, and another portion was covered by Food First’s scholarship. It all
worked out, and I got to spend one of my most memorable Christmases in the
Sierra Norte in a temazcal.
My interest in Mexico comes from working with indigenous
immigrants. Many students of the program where I work are from Oaxaca and
neighboring Puebla. After visiting Mexico, I have a better understanding of the
forces which have compelled so many to migrate from the south to the north. A
big part of that story is that of the trade agreements between the US and
Mexico, and the encroachment of the global business policies on food sovereignty.
It explains why some of these students
whose mother tongues are Mixe, Mixteco, or Nahuatl are studying English as their
third language as adults in New York City.
For me, one of the most profound points made during the trip
was by the Zapotec professor of anthropology. He pointed out that organic food
and GMOs are culturally important. The mainstream media never focuses this.
Instead, they talk about environmental impact or nutrition, but these seem
remote and abstract when we’re talking about daily survival. Sitting next to a
lake in Benito Juarez’s hometown, and hearing how invasive strains of corn are endangering
cultural practices, made the matter one of containing the attempt at cultural
genocide that the people have been resisting for 500 years. He was able to link
indigenous food sovereignty and cultural preservation because he is a part of
that culture.
While there are many reasons that food sovereignty is an
important issue, none have resonated with me as much. As an immigrant to the
US, and as someone who is very sensitive to the value of lost language and culture
since I lost both, Professor Ramos’ point made the entire trip and issue more
relevant for me. If I hadn’t traveled to Mexico, I never would have heard this
point. As a result, while continuing to work with indigenous immigrants, the
fight for food sovereignty has become mine as well. It is a part of their struggle
for empowerment and social justice both here in the US and in Mexico.
