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"It is a happy talent to know how to play."

I'm Not Appropriating Your Culture. I'm Just Eating My Burrito.

11/24/2015

5 Comments

 
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In Everyday Feminism is a Joke and No One Should Ever Read It, I wrote that Everyday Feminism publishes a lot of ridiculous and sensational nonsense -- and if you disagree with them, they block you. (Though, to be fair, they are far from the only publisher who is guilty of this.) (And obviously, I'm, like, the hugest feminist, so my beef isn't with their cause.)

Last week, they published the most absurd article I've ever read on the whole internet:  
The Feminist Guide to Being a Foodie Without Being Culturally Appropriative. Basically, it argues, if you're white:

1. "Asian-style" or "Asian fusion" food is racist. 
2. Calling food "exotic," "ethnic" or "authentic," is racist.
3. Eating food from a different culture without understanding the culture's full history and traditions, is racist.
4. Eating food from a culture that experienced colonization is racist -- especially if the food in question is a "fusion" of the colonizer's culture and the colonized culture. 
5. Thinking you're adventurous for trying a foreign new food is racist.
6. If you love Mexican food but don't care about labor or immigration issues, you're a racist. 

The only point in the article I could even sort of relate to is the one about "repurposing" cheap ingredients from poor communities -- which, sometimes, can drive up the price (or down the supply) so much that it's literally like taking food out of poor peoples' mouths. 

But the rest of it? Come on! 

I'm not going to take a history class before my next order of kung pao chicken. Understanding the colonization behind curry is going to undo the suffering of past generations. It might enhance my enjoyment of the food (knowing more about the world around us makes us more appreciative and mindful), so it is something I might ​consider, if I ever have time.

But, unless there's a time-relevant, data-backed​ reason for me not to eat a burrito -- or, say, a Trader Joe's salad with a little quinoa on the side --  it's not going to hurt anyone if I enjoy an "authentic" or "exotic" lunch between a busy morning and an afternoon of meetings. 

Another part of the article I thought was stupid:
Like early explorers “discovering” spices on their quests for new trade routes, some diners today are on similar quests to “discover” different ingredients and cuisines.

It’s great when people want to try foods they’re not used to or when they’re open to eating different things, but what ends up being problematic is when people want to be rewarded for their bold, adventurous experimentation with another culture. Where people can now literally check in on an app and receive a badge for their food adventures, but others want bonus real life adventure points. 

When people think they’re being adventurous for trying food from another culture, it’s the same thing as treating that food as bizarre or weird.
​
The person outside of the culture becomes the person with “insider”knowledge about this exotic, other culture. The theme of “Westerner as cultural connoisseur” is rooted in imperialist ideas about discovering another culture and then making oneself the main character in the exchange. “I was transformed by my trip to [fill in the blank].”
Because it's like...  maybe you should try being less sensitive about my use of the word "discover." If I go to a new country or restaurant and try a cuisine I've never tried before, I have discovered something that is new to me. If I enjoyed it, I'm going to tell my friends about it. It's not so I get so-called "adventure points" -- it's because I want to share my experience with the people around me.  

Just like if they "discovered" a cool new restaurant, I'd want them to tell me! (How is this anything but a win-win? We get to try cool new foods -- and the restaurants get new business. Which is great -- running a restaurant is sooooooo hard!)

Also, from a strictly psychological standpoint, people spend a lot of time on autopilot. Something like 90% of what we do is automated -- and we don't even realize it. So when someone actively sets out to try something new -- yes, that is cool. They get cool points with me for not just going to the same old place and ordering the same old thing. After all, as I wrote in Life Hack: Do What You Do When You Travel While You're At Home, "Life is only an adventure if you make it one." You should live like you're traveling. You should adopt a mindset in which you see yourself as brave, adventurous and excited to explore the world around you. Besides, who says you can't learn anything about a culture just by going to an Asian grocery store or a Middle Eastern restaurant? Some of the coolest conversations I've had have been with the strangers I ordered my food from. 

So, yeah. Unless my food choices are depleting the oceans or taking food out of the mouths of poor people, you can go ahead and back off. Eating foods I like -- and trying new ones when I'm feeling adventurous (err... curious? Is "curious" racist?) -- is a personal choice, which has no bearing on you.

 For more, check out I Used to Think Cultural Appropriation was "Wrong." Now, I'm Not So Sure.
5 Comments
Karen
12/1/2015 09:21:13 am

I agree that EF may encourage people to find offense where there is none. But I personally can't speak to how much anyone (besides me) can be offended by what.

I relate to that blog post, though, because being Filipino, I grew up with people thinking my food was gross. I can't tell you how many times I heard "ewwwwww!" and tried my best to just bring stuff that looked like what the white kids ate. But now Filipino cuisine is totally cool and there are Filipino restaurants in NYC where I live. There's even one that serves meals on banana leaves with no flatware so diners can experience eating with their hands, which is largely how I ate growing up.

So yes, I get it, people are too sensitive. But being from an "exotic" culture, I can't help but nod my head here and there when I read that article.

And I do want to add that I find a majority of what I read on EF sensible. And I also like what I read on your blog with regard to travel and helicopter parenting stifling our kids (I have a 4-year-old). So I have room to appreciate both of you, right? :-)

Reply
bedduzza
2/28/2017 06:15:06 pm

Just a generation ago, kids made fun of my Dad for bringing "stinky cheese" (sharp imported provolone) and eggplant to school (he is Sicilian). Can you imagine? Food gets less exotic when it's around all the time!

Reply
Bob
3/1/2017 01:53:08 am

So if I order Mexican, from a local Mexican restaurant, with a Mexican owner/cook. How am I being racist and repressing him?
Yes, at a pinch if I said all Mexicans only eat Mexican food, I could see it that may be offensive.Or assumed they all only ate spicy food.
But eating a cultures food is not being racist. I would have thought the opposite was true..... Im not eating "that" because its Mexican, that is ate best narrow minded, at worst, could be considered racist.
Trying different foods and exploring cultures can only lead to a more balanced society surely?

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bestessays link
10/18/2017 07:50:49 am

All this political correctness nonsense is driving me to the wall. I wasn’t that bad at first. Being aware of cultural appropriation is a sign of respect for other cultures, but when I saw a video where a teen was being power played by a bunch of students for wearing dreadlocks, that crossed the line for me. And now this? Food from another culture should be enjoyed by all. This brings so much happiness to the culture where it came from to know that we like their food. It saddens me to see that modern day feminists like article writers in the everyday feminism site would behave this way. These days, it’s hard to find an open discussion with feminists. It’s also getting harder to identify the fake feminists from the real ones.

Reply
Murphy
5/5/2020 06:54:18 pm

Honestly, at this point I'd rather just take the problem face on and stick it in their eye. If your country has ever lost a war to ours, we're eating your food. If your country was ever allied to ours, we're eating your food. If your country ever traded with ours, we're eating your food.

Don't like it? Kindly do us the courtesy of conquering us before you try to tell us what to do.

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