Newly Married with Culture Differences

[Stephanos1611]

So I just got married June 12th to Chilean woman. And we're having some difficulties with our cultural differences (Chile is a Meat and Milk country, maybe more so than the USA). I need some resources to educate my wife about veganism, particularly how dangerous it is to give milk to hear 6 year old daughter who grew up with meat and milk etc. I need some resources that will put a bit of healthy fear into her. Something in spanish, like movies, articles etc. I think it's good to have a bit of fear in the beginning. I think most vegans had a bit of healthy paranoia when they first started out, which of course mellows out over the years for most people.... lol. At anyrate, anything will help. Many blessings.

Stephen

[Blueberries]

I've seen Earthlings with Spanish subtitles, there's also http://www.animanaturalis.org/ and http://www.liberaong.org/index.php, amongst others. I think any of the big AR organisations in the states will have their literature translated into Spanish.

First of all I'm not sure if instilling fear in your wife is really a clever way to go about things. Talk to her, engage her in intellectual debate, ask her her opinion about veganism and she will start to think about it herself. We can't change those around us and we shouldn't try to, instead we should inspire people to think for themselves.

Secondly, milk is alot of things but it isn't dangerous. I think telling her that its 'dangerous', rather than explaining that its not the ideal food for humans and the fact that it's wrong to take it away from mother animals, will make her think that vegans are crazy, or just put her on the defensive. People drink animal milk without immediate dire consequence, so therefore to say it's 'dangerous' is a bit much.

Also, congrats on being a newly-wed lol

[TXvegan]

You can find "Peaceable Kingdom" on YouTube with Spanish subtitles. Believe me, I understand. It took my husband years to come around to going vegan. He's Spanish and Dutch, so culturally big on meat and dairy...

[pat sommer]

Well if cancer diabetes heart disease arthritis etc aren't dangerous then, by all means, take the years necessary to softly persuade someone...

Or have a look here:
http://www.petalatino.com/

I don't speak Spanish or I would have narrowed it down.

[CoolCat]

If you get your wife scared enough to change diet, how will you get her to stop wearing leather, silk, or using other animal products? Diet is only one small aspect. I would explain veganism from an ethical point of view because that covers all the bases. Didn't veganism come up before you got married?

[buttons]

Mate, I don't think fear is a particularly great motivator. Pushing may be a mistake. In my own experience, people pushing and pawing at me to do something - wear X, watch Y, don't eat H, change T - makes me resist and reject it, unless I can see the value/appeal in the suggestion from the get-go. It took me a while to convince myself about veganism. I had to connect the dots myself (plus chocolate!). Maybe a subtler, everyday demonstration of variety and benefits?

Something I learned at uni in a subject I otherwise cannot stand: a bad approach/argument with a great, truthful conclusion won't be very convincing.

[harpy]

I agree with buttons about fear, or people trying to frighten one, not being a good motivator. It may be for some people, but it certainly isn't for me.

On the other hand, I think it would be fine to point out the possible downside of milk etc in a factual non-alarmist way (perhaps using peer-reviewed studies rather than material from vegan organisations). Most people have only heard the pro-dairy propaganda so have a distorted view.

[adam.rurka]

Lots of good ideas so far.

My wife isn't vegan, or vegetarian for that matter. But I've found that by doing lots of the cooking and grocery shopping myself, her intake of meats, cheeses, etc has gone down significantly. You can't really convince anyone to do anything. They have to want to do it for themselves.

Personally, after reading a few books including The China Study, Blue Zones, and The Spectrum, choosing a plant based lifestyle was just automatic.

[Barry]

@Buttons - great post.

[buttons]

Thanks Barry!

[leedsveg]

I agree. A good post buttons.:thumbsup:

Leedsveg

[buttons]

Thank you Leedsveg !