Lunchbox shaming: recollections of school lunchtime by young Canadians of Asian descent

Abstract

ABSTRACT Children’s home-packed lunches to school reflect family’s culinary cultures, social locations, and unique food norms. At Canadian elementary schools, children of Asian heritage sometimes experience “lunchbox shaming” – feeling embarrassed for bringing foods that are seen deviant from dominant food norms. This study explored the recollections of school lunchtime by 25 young adults (aged 17–25 years) from three largest Asian ethnocultural groups (Chinese, Indian, and Filipino) in Toronto, Canada. Two parents of the participants also joined follow-up interviews to provide their insights. Our analysis focused on four layers of meanings at micro-level (personal experiences and emotions), meso-level (family food practices, school food environment), macro-level (socio-historical discourses), and interactional-level (researchers’ positionalities). Many participants recalled painful experiences being teased by classmates of their “stinky” lunch, throwing away homemade lunches, or asking parents to pack “normal” lunches to fit in. Conversely, a few shared positive memories of their lunches being praised and felt proud of their culinary heritage. Many reportedly felt a need to balance affiliation to both their home and school food cultures while growing up in Canada. We conclude by discussing the implications of the study findings for the ongoing debate on Canada’s national school food program and food literacy education.