Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Anthony Arceño.
Mark, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in the Philippines and immigrated with my parents to metro Detroit when I was five months old. For me, growing up within this 1.5-generation context cultivated an early sense of difference, which has since turned into a strong desire to celebrate the diversity of the human experience. I channel much of that celebration into my quest to learn through food (and wine)!
As a dual major in international studies and French at Albion College, I was fortunate to “have to” embark on study abroad programs in South Africa and France. It was during those semesters away from the United States that I really began to appreciate the connection people have with their food. The communities I visited and the host families I stayed with in both countries each shared languages, religious traditions, and recipes that quite interestingly remained rooted in place (and for different reasons). Throughout my journey, whether here in Ohio or outside of it, I relish the opportunity to discover the tastes of place that emerge as communities attach value to eating and drinking locally.
After I graduated from Albion, I got my first full-time job at Denison University, where I worked in the Department of Multicultural Student Affairs. It was there that I started using food and food programming as a means of talking to students, faculty, staff, and community members about such topics as heritage, food choice, and food access. In that time, I joined Slow Food Columbus, where I am the Chapter Leader of a group dedicated to connecting producers and consumers in the name of good, clean, and fair food.
In 2013, I found my way to The Ohio State University, and I eventually earned my doctorate through the Department of Anthropology. Throughout the course of my dissertation research on winegrowing in central Ohio and Alsace, eastern France, I met winegrowers and other researchers who are sincerely dedicated to their craft. I continue to learn so much from them, inclusive of the lessons they have learned (or are still learning) by growing grapes and making wine. As an aside, I am in my second year as an Ohio Wines VIP (Visitor Incentive Program) Ambassador, through which I am able to further share their stories and help spread the word about our growing wine industry. (Did you know that Ohio was the largest in the U.S. before Prohibition and is currently the sixth-largest producer of wine in the country?) Post-Ph.D., I am still at Ohio State, now as the Academic Program Coordinator in the Department of Comparative Studies.
All told, in many ways, my story is archived through my social media platforms, which I use to share a taste of what I am learning and experiencing within and outside of this region. I first began chronicling my food adventures through a food and culture blog. Today, I create content that’s shared through my Learning through Food and Learning through Wine companion pages on Facebook, as well as my Twitter and Instagram accounts @learnthrufood. I’m not sure who’s really paying attention to any of it, but I hope that whoever is a viewer of my content enjoys the stories I’m sharing through these creative outlets!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I certainly do not speak for everyone who is an immigrant or child of an immigrant, but I think one of the biggest self-imposed challenges I placed on myself was to find a career path (or just a path in life more generally) where the sacrifices that my parents made for me and my sister feel justified and “worth it.” In that sense, wherever a road has not been particularly smooth, I remain grateful for my family and the people in my life that have made it easier to overcome those struggles.
The route to my Ph.D. is one of the easiest roads to deconstruct (and get lost on). Today’s students face a host of struggles — relative lack of funding for research, an uncertain job market, seeking a feeling of belonging within one’s chosen field — and I have experienced these to varying degrees. Thankfully, I have developed and continue to develop a strong network of mentors, advisors, and colleagues, who are wonderful sounding boards. (Shout-out to my wife for being in the front line!)
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As alluded to earlier, I am the Academic Program Coordinator in Ohio State’s Department of Comparative Studies. As the only full-time staff member, my role is in many respects a central point of contact for our department, connecting me in one way or another to all of our department’s undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, lecturers, part-time staff, alumni, and campus and community partners. Whether it be through course scheduling and working with other departments, or responding to inquiries and supporting our various programs, I am extremely fortunate to work with innovative and imaginative thinkers and doers who value interdisciplinarity, collaboration, and networking as much as I do.
That said, I am perhaps known as the guy who also does research on food and wine — or at least, that’s what I’d like to think I’m known for! In my current role, I am fortunate to be able to teach courses on food and culture within our larger College of Arts and Sciences, as well as (to a smaller extent than when I was in graduate school) continue my ongoing winegrowing research. I also organize discussions and a lecture series around food and food culture through my involvement with the Ohio State Anthropology Public Outreach Program and Slow Food Columbus. Indeed, I remain very much appreciative to be working in an environment that is supportive of my ongoing intellectual and research interests.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
This region has become increasingly diverse, especially as this area’s quality of living and job opportunities continue to attract new residents. I’ll also note that there seems to be a resurgence more recently around celebrating “local,” and the smaller, indie business vibe of years past. That said, I still get the sense that communities (along lines of race/ethnicity and/or socioeconomic status) tend to remain relatively separated from one another. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, it is my hope that metropolitan Columbus continues to recognize the diverse, lived experiences and skill sets that can be found here.
As I have especially found through my work with Slow Food Columbus, as well as my involvement with the Ohio Wines Visitor Incentive Program, I have found that it can be relatively easy to become part of a larger network that is much bigger than yourself. I continue to meet and work with outstanding people who call central Ohio their home and genuinely care not only about the things we have in common but even more so about where they live and the people living in it. Columbus — and Ohio more generally — truly has the Midwestern charm and hospitality that I’ve grown to love most about this area.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://about.me/markanthonyarceno
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learnthrufood/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/learningthroughfood & https://www.facebook.com/learningthroughwine
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/learnthrufood
