The Flawed Premise of Statements Like 'Love Our People Like You Love Our Food'

Why is it that Asian immigrants are often valued through the labour and food they provide, rather than through their inherent value of being a human?

In the aftermath of a tragedy, outpourings of grief, love, and support are expected. The murder of 8 people in the recent Atlanta shooting in the U.S. was no different. Yet, when I read posts and re-posts of lines that say: “Love us like you love our food”, I can’t help but find this rhetoric deeply hurtful.

The logic behind this implies that Asian immigrants derive their value in how they provide to others - be it through our food, culture or knowledge. Reducing Asian immigrants to things to be commodified or consumed erases the inherent value in our lives. Our worth should not have to come down to how hard we work, nor should you like our food to respect our right to exist. “What if we saw life as life, valuable because we’re human?”

- Isabella