Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent among racialized immigrant groups in Canada compared to the general population. Hence, “ethnicity” is identified as a risk factor for diabetes, focusing on ethnic differences in health behaviours. By linking ethnic differences and diabetes risk, ethnic food cultures are problematized. Using the concept of cultural racism, this paper explores the ways in which ethnic food cultures are used to explain racial inequities in health. This paper will conclude by supporting the naming of racism, rather than ethnicity, as one of the root causes of diabetes among racialized immigrant populations and health inequities in Canada.

Le diabète de type 2 a une prévalence plus élevée chez les groupes immigrants racisés du Canada par rapport au reste de la population. Par conséquent, l’« ethnicité » est considérée comme un facteur de risque du diabète, ce qui pointe du doigt les différences ethniques en matière d’habitudes de vie. Relier les différences ethniques aux risques de diabète implique de problématiser les cultures alimentaires ethniques. S’appuyant sur le concept de racisme culturel, cet article explore les manières dont les cultures alimentaires ethniques sont utilisées pour expliquer des inégalités raciales en santé. La conclusion à laquelle nous arrivons ici est plutôt que le racisme lui-même, et non l’ethnicité, constitue une des principales causes du diabète chez les populations immigrantes racisées et des inégalités en matière de santé au Canada.

Los investigadores deben citar este trabajo de la siguiente manera:

• Ng, E., (2025), "Ethnic food practices, health, and cultural racism: Diabetes risk discourse among racialized immigrants in Canada", HSSCommons: (DOI: 10.15353/cfs-rcea.v10i1.548)

  Copy Citation | Export metadata as... | JSON | CSV | RO-Crate | BibTex | EndNote

1. diabetes
2. ethnic food
3. health inequities
4. immigrant
5. racism
6. social determinants
7. traditional foods

Original publication: Ng, Eric. "Ethnic food practices, health, and cultural racism: Diabetes risk discourse among racialized immigrants in Canada." Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l'alimentation, vol. 10, no. 1, 2023, pp. 33-40. DOI: 10.15353/cfs-rcea.v10i1.548. This material has been re-published in an unmodified form on the Canadian HSS Commons with the permission of Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l'alimentation. Copyright © the author(s). Work published in CFS/RCÉA prior to and including Vol. 8, No. 3 (2021) is licensed under the Creative Commons CC BY license. Work published in Vol. 8, No. 4 (2021) and after is licensed under the Creative Commons CC BY-SA license. For details, see creativecommons.org/licenses/.