Xander Whyte week 2 blog post
The most surprising thing about moving to Aliso Viejo for college was not the fact that everyone lived in the same houses, not the fact that all the stores closed at 9:00pm even on Fridays, nor the fact that getting from point A to point B was surely 20 minutes at least, and only possible if you had a car. It was the insane fast food culture I had never before seen in my life. Sure, I had been to California a few times in my life before, and I've stopped at In n Out burger a few times, but I could never pinpoint the special uniqueness in the patty or in between two buns that every expat Californian nostalgically rambled on about. I just went because - well - because that's what you do when you go to California. Regardless of your beliefs or background, you wouldn't not check out the Vatican if you were there right? For however corny, cheesy, and cliche it is to shuffle in line at the Vatican, or the drive through at a Californian In n Out franchise, (both roughly the equivalent wait times at peak hours), it's something you do when you're there. After all, when in Rome...But what drives Californians, more specifically Aliso Viejo - Southern Orange County upper class citizens to gravitate toward fried and processed foods?
Last Week, Yelp released a 5 year data analysis on local businesses, ultimately concluding that, Americans prefer independent restaurants to chain franchises (Grabar 2018). Pfft, a no brainer for a Portlandian like me, but I couldn't help think of how fortunate I was to grow up in a city where food culture was one of the focal points in the development of Portland. Not only did people seek out Portland to start querky food trucks or hole in wall shops to share their take on foods never seen before, but it also was a community of global cuisine. I couldn't help but think of how there are many places in America where people do not have the luxury to eat not only different, but healthier choices of food.
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| Percentage of Fast Food, Fast Casual, and Casual Dining restaurants that are part of Chains/by City Source: (Grabar 2018) |
Food Deserts. I'm sure most urbanologists have head of them. Places where fresh produce, and foods are unavailable to residents. This is often due to the lack of supermarkets in these areas. Furthermore, these places are often in low income communities (Florida 2018). Residents in lower income communities do not have access to fresh produce, and even when they do, fresh and healthier foods cost more than unhealthier options (Florida 2018). This phenomenon has lead to low income communities making poorer nutritional choices; they are willing - or should I say forced - to substitute a quinoa bowl for a big mac and fries.
In fact, food deserts might be an outdated term. It's not that they don't have access food, it's the fact that almost all of the food that is available to them is fast food. Nutritionally deficient, processed, fried, greasy foods. Fast food franchises are abundant in low income communities. These aren't food deserts. They are what is being called food swamps (Curley 2018). Bob Curley, writer for Healthline describes food swamps as "communities that are oversaturated with unhealthy dining options, such as fast-food restaurants" (Curly 2018). Food swamps aren't rare. If you've ever taken a road trip, I'm sure you've come across small communities in the middle of nowhere where the local economy runs on a handful of gas stations, Wendy's, McDonalds, etc. Personally, I drive up to Portland, Oregon every summer, and back down to Aliso Viejo for school in the fall, and I've been through too many of them. Unfortunately, Food Deserts - or Food Swamps, whatever you want to call them, exist in low income communities because fast food tends to be the cheaper and quicker option for poorer people who work longer hours.
Aliso Viejo is NOT a low income community, and it certainly is not a food desert either. If you closed your eyes, spun in a circle, opened them, and drove 5 minutes in whatever direction you happened to be facing, you'll find either a Ralph's, a Target, or a Stater Brothers. If not, you'll be sure to have run across a shopping market with fresh food. However, while Aliso Viejo is neither a low income community nor a food desert, it is a food swamp. Littered among its numerous strip malls and town centers, are Chipotles, In n Outs, Carl's Juniors, McDonalds, Panda Expresses, Pick up Stix's, Chic Filets, and any other sort of fast food you can think of. If you see one restaurant that you think you haven't seen before, it's guaranteed that there are 3 more within a 10 mile radius. Aliso Viejo, does not have any mom and pop, hole in the wall, original restaurants. Everything is chain.
But what is the reason for this? What am I to make of this? All Food Desert characteristics are not found in Aliso Viejo, so why is it a food swamp? It's affluent and healthy foods in supermarkets are available. Yet people around here seem to indulge in processed foods, and enjoy it at that. In n Out drive thru lanes line up all the way to the main street, causing congestion problems. People are outraged that Chic Filet is not open on Sundays, as if six days of unhealthy food wasn't enough. What's the draw here people? Why does a fast food culture here in Aliso Viejo, dare I saw Southern California, exist? What is the Draw? When will the touristic trademark of visiting beautiful Southern California move away from a Double Double and Fries, Animal Style?
-Xander
References
Curley, Bob. "Food Swamps and Food Deserts in Poor Communities." Healthline. January 18, 2018. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/combat-food-deserts-and-food-swamps#1.
Florida, Richard. "Stop Blaming Food Deserts for the Nutrition Gap." CityLab. January 22, 2018. https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/01/its-not-the-food-deserts-its-the-inequality/550793/.
Grabar, Henry. "Why Chain Restaurants Dominate the Sun Belt but Not the Pizza Belt." Slate Magazine. February 08, 2018.
https://slate.com/business/2018/02/why-fast-food-dominates-the-sun-belt-but-not-the-pizza-belt.html.
In fact, food deserts might be an outdated term. It's not that they don't have access food, it's the fact that almost all of the food that is available to them is fast food. Nutritionally deficient, processed, fried, greasy foods. Fast food franchises are abundant in low income communities. These aren't food deserts. They are what is being called food swamps (Curley 2018). Bob Curley, writer for Healthline describes food swamps as "communities that are oversaturated with unhealthy dining options, such as fast-food restaurants" (Curly 2018). Food swamps aren't rare. If you've ever taken a road trip, I'm sure you've come across small communities in the middle of nowhere where the local economy runs on a handful of gas stations, Wendy's, McDonalds, etc. Personally, I drive up to Portland, Oregon every summer, and back down to Aliso Viejo for school in the fall, and I've been through too many of them. Unfortunately, Food Deserts - or Food Swamps, whatever you want to call them, exist in low income communities because fast food tends to be the cheaper and quicker option for poorer people who work longer hours.
Aliso Viejo is NOT a low income community, and it certainly is not a food desert either. If you closed your eyes, spun in a circle, opened them, and drove 5 minutes in whatever direction you happened to be facing, you'll find either a Ralph's, a Target, or a Stater Brothers. If not, you'll be sure to have run across a shopping market with fresh food. However, while Aliso Viejo is neither a low income community nor a food desert, it is a food swamp. Littered among its numerous strip malls and town centers, are Chipotles, In n Outs, Carl's Juniors, McDonalds, Panda Expresses, Pick up Stix's, Chic Filets, and any other sort of fast food you can think of. If you see one restaurant that you think you haven't seen before, it's guaranteed that there are 3 more within a 10 mile radius. Aliso Viejo, does not have any mom and pop, hole in the wall, original restaurants. Everything is chain.
But what is the reason for this? What am I to make of this? All Food Desert characteristics are not found in Aliso Viejo, so why is it a food swamp? It's affluent and healthy foods in supermarkets are available. Yet people around here seem to indulge in processed foods, and enjoy it at that. In n Out drive thru lanes line up all the way to the main street, causing congestion problems. People are outraged that Chic Filet is not open on Sundays, as if six days of unhealthy food wasn't enough. What's the draw here people? Why does a fast food culture here in Aliso Viejo, dare I saw Southern California, exist? What is the Draw? When will the touristic trademark of visiting beautiful Southern California move away from a Double Double and Fries, Animal Style?
-Xander
References
Curley, Bob. "Food Swamps and Food Deserts in Poor Communities." Healthline. January 18, 2018. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/combat-food-deserts-and-food-swamps#1.
Florida, Richard. "Stop Blaming Food Deserts for the Nutrition Gap." CityLab. January 22, 2018. https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/01/its-not-the-food-deserts-its-the-inequality/550793/.
Grabar, Henry. "Why Chain Restaurants Dominate the Sun Belt but Not the Pizza Belt." Slate Magazine. February 08, 2018.
https://slate.com/business/2018/02/why-fast-food-dominates-the-sun-belt-but-not-the-pizza-belt.html.
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