Course Details

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, recently stated that she learned her most important political lessons from working in restaurants. This class looks at food as the nexus of almost all of the major forces in U.S. politics today. We will examine food as it is connected to issues such as climate change, immigration law, criminal justice reform, workers’ rights, gentrification, education and health care. We will explore these topics through an interdisciplinary lens and place-based approach by focusing on the food industry in Seattle & King County, one of the fastest growing in the nation. This class will help students develop skills to communicate publicly about the specific role that food plays in contemporary U.S. politics and social movements. Student writing will include book and restaurant reviews, interviews of leaders in the Seattle & King County food industry and more. Classes will offer an intimidate workshop setting where students engage in collaborative editing.