Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION 1

Cultural Immersion 1: My Interview with a Vegetarian

Taesha M Wilcox
Georgia State University

Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION 1

When individuals in a particular community are uneducated on the diverse issues that
surround them, it becomes easy to pass judgment. It seems as though it is acceptable to find
someone flawed because their characteristics, perceptions, and daily life struggles are not equal
to their counterparts. Society has to realize that this world is moving ahead, and no one person
will ever become equal to another. As a future Social Worker there will be a need to have an
open mind to not only to cultural issues, but also the social problems that affect many individuals
today. The challenge in the Cultural immersion was trying to understand the social and cultural
questions that come along with being a vegetarian. It is hard to comprehend a culture that you are
unknowledgeable and uninterested about. The task is to step outside of your comfort zone and
embrace unfamiliar cultures, so that you could become familiar with the lifestyle and issues that
plague this community.
Prior Perceptions
Growing up in a family from the south, there is not a choice whether you will eat meat or
not, you just do it. With that being said, there was no exposure to the vegetarian culture as a
child. It was not until my third year of college that the opportunity presented itself to meet a
vegetarian. Looking back, it became an eye opener on just isolated my childhood was with
diverse cultures. The only thing I ever perceived about vegetarians was that they did not eat
anything, their diet is bland and has no taste, and they are skinny. In the media, it seems as
though they all have a problem with people wearing fur, and they feel uncomfortable enjoying
themselves in the midst of everyone else eating meat. The depiction of vegetarians in the media
only adds the portrayals of them. I do not have a problem with this culture; therefore I would be
sympathetic to issues they face. With that being said, I could not foresee a problem working with
this culture because I would come into a situation with an open mind.
Cultural Immersion
Raquel Walker is a 23-year-old Georgia State University College student, who let me in
on a day in her life as I interviewed her about the lifestyle she now lives. Raquel and myself
became friends our first semester at Georgia State University, and I took an interest because she
was not the stereotypical vegetarian. Raquel was not always a vegetarian; it was only a few years
back that she began her journey. As a child Raquel never enjoyed seeing the benefits of eating
meat, and she found the steps that are taken to kill animals so that we can feast appalling. She
says her diet excludes any animal flesh such as chicken, fish, seafood, pork, and beef. During the
interview, Raquel cooked a delicious meal and shared juicing recipes with me. I could have done
without the juice, but it was a superb experience and not half as bad as I thought it would be.
Raquel wanted me to share that just because she is a vegetarian does not make her weak. She is
not an avid salad eater; salad is only consumed by her at least twice a month. The most important
thing Raquel shared was that being a vegetarian is not some type of fashion, trend or bandwagon
thing. Vegetarianism is a lifestyle and a disciplined way of living for her.
Research
A Vegetarian does not eat meat, poultry, or seafood, but there are different forms of
vegetarianism that an individual can identify as.

Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION 1

Vegans (total vegetarians): Do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or any products
derived from animals, including eggs, dairy products, and gelatin. Lacto-ovo
vegetarians: Do not eat meat, poultry, or fish, but do eat eggs and dairy products.
Lacto vegetarians: Eat no meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, but do consume dairy
products. Ovo vegetarians: Eat no meat, poultry, fish, or dairy products, but
do eat eggs. Partial vegetarians: Avoid meat but may eat fish" (Harvard Womens
Health Watch, 2009, pg 5).
Vegetarianism dates back to the sixth century BC, the religions banned the sacrifice of animals
and the consumption of meat and refused to eat anything animal-based (including eggs)
(Leitzmann, C. 2014, pg 496S). The way that these individuals thought millenniums ago can
still be conceptualized today. The facts about health, longevity and the art of seeing animals are
equals was the spark of this revolution. The practices were highly regarded because they
promoted that humans are legally responsible for animals and that killing them meant injustice
and harm (Leitzmann, C. 2014, pg 496S). Understanding a persons reasons behind their life
choices can sometimes give to new meaning to the way we think about their culture. Knowing
that the populations whom focused more so on a vegetarian diet had some of the lowest rates of
diet-related non- communicable diseases and lived a rather long life (Leitzmann, C. 2014, pg
497S). Can help the process of knowing why these cultures feel that vegetarianism positively
affects their life. As of today six to eight million adults in the United States eat no meat, fish, or
poultry (Harvard Women Health Watch, 2009, pg. 4); this signifies that the population is rising.
But the misconceptions people hold towards this group is what constricts us of seeing that this is
not a trend, and that people view vegetarianism as a significant part of their life.
Conclusion
Doing this cultural immersion has affected me emotionally, because I now had an indepth understanding of what my friend goes through just because she is a vegetarian. Some of
the social issues that affect Raquel can stem from individuals telling her she is not normal
because she does not consume meat. To family members and acquaintances blaming any illness
she or pain she feels to the fact that she does not eat meat. The perceptions of vegetarians have
changed dramatically because there is now a connection between me and this culture. Everyone
has their life battles and Raquel being a vegetarian only adds to the obstacles she has to
overcome. The fact that Raquel runs marathons and stay on top of her diet and it disciplined
enough to not let anyone derail her path shows strength and character. Being provided with the
opportunity to learn about different cultures has opened my eyes to just how much I do not
know, and it leaves space to the ability to find out more.

Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION 1

References
Becoming a vegetarian. Avoiding meat is only one part of the picture. A healthy vegetarian diet
should be chock-full of foods with known benefits. (2009). Harvard Women's Health
Watch, 17(2), 4-6.
Leitzmann, C. (2014). Vegetarian nutrition: past, present, future. American Journal Of Clinical
Nutrition, 100496S-502s. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.071365