When cultural sensitivity misfires...
Everything was going great. Students were loving the food and festivities. Except for two students, who took to Twitter to voice their displeasure with the school's decision to host such a "#CUlturallyInsensitive" event.
While a few on Twitter were offended, the overwhelming preponderance of students registered absolutely no reaction at all. The one student who did respond to the Twitter complaints wrote, "I'm offended that you're offended. #CUfiestafiasco."
Clemson senior Austin Pendergist told Campus Reformhe felt the post-event uproar was “ridiculous.”
“This is something that Clemson Dining has done for years without any sort of backlash. People love the cultural nights in the dining halls,” Pendergist said. “What's next? Are they going to take away all potato based food as to not offend students from Irish decent? Remove the stir fry station so Asian-American students don't feel as if they are being misrepresented? When does it end?”
The university, however, took a different position. Dr. Doug Hallenbeck, Clemson University’s Senior Associate Vice President of Student Affairs apologized for the event’s “flattened cultural view of Mexican culture.”
It looks like the original tweeterer that took offence at the Mexican food festival has
taken down the account or renamed it.
16 comments:
"It looks like the original tweeterer that took offence at the Mexican food festival has taken down the account or renamed it."
You better just check your sensitivity privilege. That shit is already old. Put it up in the attic with dad's disco pants.
"Everything was going great. Students were loving the food and festivities.'
Now see, right there is the problem. Somebody was having fun, and enjoying themselves. Some people can't stand that.
Somebody was having fun, and enjoying themselves. Some people can't stand that.
That's exactly what happened.
Is it really so hard for college administrators to just shut up and ignore assholes, or do they feel too much kindred spirit with whiney, bitchy spoil sports. Just a couple complaints and they had to issue an apology? If you have to say something, try the truth. Try: "This is a fun activity for many students that does no harm. It's a welcome part of our collective culture. It's based in openness, tolerance, and sharing. A few narrow-minded, culturally inflexible individuals will not be allowed to ruin that for everyone else."
We all become culturally closer through food and music.
These kids are like Pavlov's dogs. They've been steeped for 12+ years getting gold stars for
pinning the tail on the Racist.
I would guess that a Mexican hat dance is out of the question now.
Heaven forbid anyone serves Carne' Asada.
This is about as stupid a "protest" as I've ever heard...and being a college kid of the 60's I've heard a lot of them.
Donkey show?
I hate myself for that.
No Meth, they have the excuse of being young and stupid.
Emilio's gotta good point. Come on, Diversity day, Mexican food = taco day in the cafeteria and a couple of people are sitting there thinking and tweeting, "Is that all you got? Tacos? Really?"
Maybe it was burritos. I don't know. You can bet it was similar to poor ersatz attempt at something Taco Bell minus the deliciousness and authenticity.
But what's the dealio, Emilio, can't you simply provide a few cafeteria food related suggestions instead of making a victimized fuss? Like tamale day. Have all the kids make tamales. Doing that together will teach and show kids more than anything else about culture and have it internalized.
I don't think there's much chance anyone will be culturally appropriating Irish food any time soon......I could get behind them if they were protesting Indian food, but Mexican food is pretty good. It's best to order it in Anglo neighborhoods though. They have French fries instead of rice and beans, and they don't serve crap like retried beans at all. I'm surprised that the Indian restaurants haven't culturally appropriated retried beans.
Suggestion for those Irish food deprived...try the nice little bar on the street behind the Pulaski Building in Washington DC...great food and rather Irish. Even their Anglo "Fish & Chips" have an Irish tone to it (mouth watering)...great little place and I miss visiting it since I no longer am in DC much.
BTW...my mother cooked "Irish" and most of it was crap (over-cooked!)...sad to say, but there really is good Irish food out there. When it comes to lamb, the Irish could learn a few things from the Arabs and Greeks. I live in an Arab neighborhood now and I can get lamb dishes to die for in many places...who knew? First time I tasted lamb that was really good was at Pegasus Restaurant in "Greek Town" Detroit...trust me I was shocked.
William ... actually I like refried beans and rice...put enough hot sauce on it (soak it dude!) and anything can taste good. :-)
There's such a thing as "Irish" food? Who would've thunk it. My rule after traveling in Europe is that the farther you go from the Mediterranean, the worse the food.
As for "Mexican food". Chip has it right. I'd add that most "Mexican food" in the USA is about as "Mexican" as Chow mein is Chinese.
rcocean ... Irish food? Oh, yeah...grew up on it...a staple is leg of 12 year old tough arsed sheep (they call it "lamb" ...who knows why?) stewed for about 48 hours until gray, tougher yet, and just nasty. Serve with boiled potatoes and no seasoning what-so-ever. Basic stomach bulk and that's it. Severe hunger was necessary to even approach it.
BTW...to my knowledge, Chow Mein is actually of Chinese origin, or at least central Asian origin, and like many noodle or rice dishes, has many variants. Now Chop Suey is almost purely "American". I lived in Asia for a few years and never saw Chop Suey on any Chinese menu, or Korean either...but lots of Chow Mein varieties. Oddly, in the Chinese restaurants ketchup was always on the table, but you had to ask for Soy sauce?
Now "Fried Rice" has so many varieties that no one place can be called the "origin"...anywhere rice is a staple they'll fry it up some how...and the best in my experience was a dish of Korean fried rice, with meats, eggs, veggies, soy, etc., that had Japanese influences (and Ketchup was de rigueur)...in Korea it was called "Yakimaash" (phonetic spelling, no idea how to write it in Japanese).
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