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The Whitewashing of #WhitePeopleDoingYoga
- Thread starter whatsinaname
- Start date
What about People of No Colour? People without colour? I don't know why exactly the term people of colour bothers me a bit.
When you've just been the de-facto people and everyone else is ______ people they feel they've lost something when they're called out specifically as being white people. Not used to being targeted as a group in language and criticism.
Extreme fragility and a lack of self awareness.
So what is? I am legitimately asking what is of concern on that Thai Express Instagram post.
Yeah I'm not really getting that post. OPs article I understand.
It's a point related to the broader issue presented in the article. White people being used to advertise Thai cuisine.
The point is very clearly not that white people should only eat white food.
The colonization of ethnic cuisine is an actual phenomena driven by market capitalism. As time progresses people who traditionally ate and prepared such foods have less access to basic ingredients and can't afford the hip "white" restaurants that now prepare their cultural dishes
Ignorant? if you going to check stats, check them all
Yet the police department is a raising star in brutality complaints.
And lets not talk about homeless are treated. It's the poster child for NIMBY policies.
So you think Thai cuisine should only be advertised for using Thai actors?
Doesn't seem to be the case with Thai cuisine for the most part.
I sort of make it a point to only food from other ethnicities, countries, etc. if they are owned by the people who traditionally prepared those foods. IDK how much it helps, but I love that we have local places here run by immigrants who are here, making the food they love, and sharing it with us. :)
It's really unfortunate. I'm glad there are some good people there (like the person who called out the obvious hypocrisy with the merchandise). There are always good people at these places doing their best. But it goes to show you how often white people, even well-meaning white people, uncritically reinforce forms of white supremacy. Once this has happened, it is extremely difficult to convince someone what they're doing is harmful or wrong because it would mean admitting they participate in a practice they supposedly reject.
I think it's often the result of people starting something with good intentions ("platforming Asian artists") but then only ever talk to or work with other white people. They become so accustomed to white POV that when a non-white voice enters the conversation they have no idea how to process it. I've had that problem. I've known other white people who've had that problem. It's something that can be overcome (and pretty easily - just listen to non-white people and what they have to say), but people carry on for a long time thinking they are agents of good or prestige and when faced with the realization they are doing harm they would rather destroy the threat to their own self-image than admit they've been doing something wrong.
From my experience, where there is a diaspora of peoples there tend to be grocery stores catering to that. So for example I usually get my Indian spices from an Indian super market because I can get large bulk at very low prices. I don't see how that is negatively affected by a multitude of Indian restaurants in the neighborhood.
And then we get back to what JeTmAn was saying, what is the alternative? Should white people not frequent such restaurants in order to not support them?
I didn't say that.
Read the article again and then look at the initial post which posted the Instagram picture. The entire article is about cultural appropriation and the effects of capitalism on whitewashing those cultures. Not every instance of pointing out a minor instance of that = extreme criticism against white people.
No offense, but this is why the talk gets so tiring. It always gets reframed on what white people can and can not do. If minorities had that power we wouldn't waste it on stopping white people from eating. I would use my Stop White people spirit bomb on getting them to stop loving black face first.
The discussion should be about white people get upset on being educated on stuff or why they can love something without trying to co op it. Perfect example Andrew Zimmer told asian populations in the midwest he cooks asian food better than they do. Folks don't think asian people should feel a type way about it
I am not upset, and I am trying to be educated here. I love lots of things not native to my culture (whatever the hell that means) and am hopefully not co-opting it or making anyone upset by doing so.
As someone whose religious identity leans more Christian than it does anything else, I've never had to do such a thing with yoga, and I get a ton out of it spiritually.
White people who get offended by something like this really owe it to themselves to stop and do some introspection.
The problem isn't so obvious in your backyard. I don't know why people gotta feel stuff like this first hand before admitting it's real.
Little by little, people make do the best they can by substituting with "lesser" ingredients and sometimes they just cut them out entirely. In rural Mexico, in a town I'm from, only more wealthy folks can regularly eat avocados and tortilla prices can be volatile
As a delivery man of foods, I've seen many mom and pop Asian restaurants switch to pasta noodles, rather than actual proper noodles that are out priced. Those are just my anecdotes, but there's actual research and books written on this.
What do I want people to do? A good start would be to not be in denial about on going appropriation and the benefits white people enjoy about a long history of colonialism.
Then I can only hope that means more people will agitate for material changes
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You're not wrong. But it's even more like a YA as they are collated in their districts and fight in the annual minority spotlight games as the rich elite cheer from the sidelines chattering about which district they prefer and send trifles in support.
May the budget be ever in your favor
Yep. If I had a dollar for every self-victimizing "So I can't participate in this culture anymore???" I could buy Saudi Arabia.
It's things like this that make conversations difficult for shit like this. You sound already frustrated and nothing has actually been said to you negatively.
That was a good article. Thanks for linking it OP, as a person of indian descent it was relatable.
I don't know if you're here, but if you are, look around. Look at what's happened on Valencia st in the last 10 years. In the mission in general. Look at how divisidero has changed. Look at how north beach has change. Western addition/fillmore dear lord it's become insufferable. Richmond gets more rich and white by the day. Mission bay is transforming into Tabris town (hopefully the BMRs keep some of the regulars around). Communities are getting erased. Give it a handfull more of years and It'll be nothing but vancouver style glass towers on the east side and only $6m houses on the west. Everyone else pushed to vallejo, tracy, and beyond.
Meanwhile, just yesterday, people on this very forum argued in earnest that black people shouldn't be allowed to ban anyone from using the word "nigga".
I'm really not frustrated. I'm half German and the last thing I have any interest in is stuff that is native to my culture, that's why I was being slightly flippant about it.
Geniuinely I want to understand what I can personally can do about this. I don't doubt or question the existance of cultural appropriation. What I struggle with is where to draw lines as to what is or is not ok.
"Neutral ethnicity" is a fun one the Bank of Canada used a few years ago.
Really interesting article. Damn, I didn't realize the Asian Art Museum was founded by a Nazi apologist.
But people of all walks love hip hop now, you want them to stop???
It's like the absurdity grew larger and larger and by the time opening reception starts with the band it's almost like they're trolling him. The Asian Art Museum? Really?
I don't get why it's so hard for people to realize that cultural appropriation happens and how damaging it is. Or why white people don't like being called "white people" and I'm fucking white.
Privilege really is a hell of a thing.
Privilege really is a hell of a thing.
Wait, are you saying only Thai people can eat Thai food?
Everyone, stop eating bread! Except for the Egyptians of course.
That's not even *close* to what the poster is pointing out, and has been covered already in the thread.
Sorry, please point me to the post I should be referencing. (Is it that Thai Express is using white people in their marketing?)
i was just about to post this.It's like the absurdity grew larger and larger and by the time opening reception starts with the band it's almost like they're trolling him. The Asian Art Museum? Really?
like how do people not get laughed out the museum
OP
OP
Noted, so being aware of this situation - should I no longer eat Thai food? I'm looking to be educated. Not trying to stir up shit.
The exhibit title seems needlessly adversarial rather than inclusive, a museum art exhibit should be inclusive and walk that fine provocation line very carefully in every community. The last thing you want to do is make people feel bad for liking the things they like.
As somebody from the Indian subcontinent, I am fascinated by things that get adopted from my land of origin. How things are innovated upon, and ultimately refined in different parts of the world. Yoga as practiced in the US, biryani variants in Korea, white musicians playing tabla and sitar, duck samosas at a French restaurant, or curry variants in South Africa are things to be celebrated as cultural contributions from that part of the world.
As somebody from the Indian subcontinent, I am fascinated by things that get adopted from my land of origin. How things are innovated upon, and ultimately refined in different parts of the world. Yoga as practiced in the US, biryani variants in Korea, white musicians playing tabla and sitar, duck samosas at a French restaurant, or curry variants in South Africa are things to be celebrated as cultural contributions from that part of the world.