I’ve heard many Jewish anti-Zionists express discomfort with the idea that opposing Zionism is inherently antisemitic because it implies that being Jewish requires supporting genocide. To them, that’s the truly antisemitic notion.

As a Black vegan, I feel the same discomfort when people claim that respecting animals is a “white” thing. That framing indirectly suggests that POC are more supportive of animal oppression than white people, which is, frankly, racist.

The truth is, every culture, white or otherwise, has been shaped by human supremacy. But if we’re talking more specifically about plant-based dieting, the cultures that have adhered to it as tradition the most are not white, e.g., religious tendencies like Jainism and Rastafarianism.

And let’s not forget who industrialized and globalized animal agriculture for maximum profit: colonizers. If anything, Western imperialism is what has exacerbated animal exploitation.