Put down the burrito. Put down the sushi. Apparently, eating them makes you a racist–at least, according to liberal feminists.
The liberal opinion site, Everyday Feminism, has put together a convenient guide to let you know what foods a white person is allowed to eat. It’s called, “The Feminist Guide to Being a Foodie Without Being Culturally Appropriative,” and yes, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds.
The guide’s author, Rachel Kuo, an Asian-American, laments how “frustrating” it is when her native culture “gets consumed and appropriated as both trend and tourism.”
To fix that, basically, white people are supposed to abstain from wanting to eat any sort of ethnic food, lest it become too popular.
Kuo explains that “cultural appropriation is when members of a dominant culture adopt parts of another culture from people that they’ve also systematically oppressed. The dominant culture can try the food and love the food without ever having to experience oppression because of their consumption.”
Basically, if you haven’t been “oppressed,” how dare you enjoy wontons.
Kuo adds, “Food is appropriated when people from the dominant culture – in the case of the US, white folks – start to fetishize or commercialize it.”
In Kuo’s mind, if you’re seeking “authentic ethnic food,” you’re guilty of “cultural appropriation.” She specifically excludes Western European food, because “ethnic food has become reserved only for ethnicities that are perceived as exotic and foreign to White folks.” (Sorry, Italians; your food is eaten by everyone, but you’re too white to qualify for “cultural appropriation,” according to Kuo.)
You’re also guilty if you have a “person of color” act as your personal “food expert.”
Over the last few years, politically correct culture has run amok. It used to be that American culture was a giant melting pot–we eat pasta and pizza because large numbers of Italian immigrants introduced their native foods to the masses.
But now that other cultures, like Asian cultures, have seen their food growing in popularity as their own numbers increase, the PC police have taken offense–and are trying to tell you that, basically, if you’re open to new experiences and willing to try different food from a different culture, you’re a big old racist.
So put down those chopsticks!