La Maruchan pin

$10.00

La Maruchan - 2020
Enamel pin 1.5”

There’s instant lunch, but not instant change

I have been in the food/environmental justice movement for a little over 16 years. But like many of yall I have lived within this food system. A system that has polluted, invaded, extracted and limited our growth and wellbeing. I have challenged these practices by learning, teaching and sharing skills from but not limited to - designing school garden programs, as well as barrio regenerative solutions through community organizing efforts especially on the south side of Tucson.

When I came to creating this image, I was actually eating a maruchan, because sometimes life, work and time move too fast that I couldn’t put together a “healthy” meal. As I looked at the empty cup and wondered; what would people think, then I was like “eff it” – I needed to nourish my body at that point in time with what I had. And with those thoughts I was brought back to the lessons that I teach service members, teachers and friends that come through my programs and trainings. The lessons of food shaming and it’s effects, lessons on the theology of Barrio Campesinxs, that include the stories of migration and the switch from traditional food to high processed foods and storytelling practices that help us with the growth we all go through to be nourishing organizers.

We must acknowledge how far we have come and the growth that we still need to do. Just like this little bean sprout emerging from the soil, out of a used maruchan styrofoam cup. There are levels to this social justice work and no one is more righteous than the next, no one is more holy, we do what we can. And these soups have helped our hood survive. But beans and growing our own nutrition will help us thrive.