Cries of cultural appropriation causes Hawaii-themed restaurant to close

[DeleteMyAccount 11,881]

1 minute ago, JustaMonster said:

Yes I agree that people should stay in the middle. It just upset me when people are jumping to conclusions  and saying that this is appropriating their culture just because this man was not from there. Even if the restaurant looked bad or something maybe he tried and it just didnt turn out well. He clearly likes the culture if he based the restaurant off of it and was inspired to make it based on childhood memories.

Well you shouldn't jump to conclusions either considering this story is pretty bogus and doesn't give enough information.

Also, even if this man did do an honest job with the restaurant, I still don't like how he's creating a themed restaurant from another culture based on his childhood memories. 

But again, I'm not giving this anymore time. The outcry of anti SJW isn't helping when details are key.

There are people who "cry" about SJW stating their opinion of taking action, even if unnecessary. And yet they complain and SJW about their owns issues or personal beliefs when they're attacked. This is such a parade. The only thing that people should be angry about is the poor journalism.

[Morphine Prince 109,655]

1 minute ago, River said:

But when they use the Italian flag for example in advertisements and using the Italian names for the pizza?

I'm trying to understand and not to argue so sorry if my questions looks like that..

Well, Pizza Hut specifically call themselves "Italian-Anerican" however based on the ads I see on TV, etc. I don't see them use Italian culture THAT much. 

BUT I do see what you're saying. 

Olive Garden is an It-Am restaurant that DOES claim to be "Italian food" a lot of the time but it's obviously Americanized Italian dishes. However this company does seem to want to come off as authentic when they really aren't. 

As for MOCKING Italian culture, I don't see much of it here. But I'm not Italian so I can't say how they feel and I'm assuming you are. 

The interesting thing about things like pizza is that it has become so ingrained in American culture that at this point it's seen as native. 

So cultural appropriation isn't usually mentioned but it is interesting to see that perspective. 

 

[Ferrer Zorola 3,966]

1 hour ago, Lanius said:

THIS.

He's a white man from a mostly white community taking a marginalized groups culture and profiting from it. While those same POC don't have the same resources/sucess

And? 

Does he have to give a penny to every Hawaiian? What do they gain? It is very difficult per se to come up with an idea for an establishment for them to just 'cry' and have it closed. Are they happy now?

[Chr 4,217]

So using this logic should every Chipotle and Taco Bell be closed down too 

[Ferrer Zorola 3,966]

As if there wasn't a single foreign food restaurant in Hawaii. It's FOOD ffs what disrespect? Instead of doing something against deforestation or any other problem THAT ACTUALLY MATTERS. 

Do they cry every time someone wears artificial flowers on their neck too? Or when Moana was released? 

UNBELIEVABLE.

[Pacify Him 9,073]

We need to start locking up SJWs  they're destroying humanity  

[Pacify Him 9,073]

18 minutes ago, Chrastapher said:

So using this logic should every Chipotle and Taco Bell be closed down too 

Omg yes. Close down abominations  

[Chr 4,217]

11 minutes ago, MetalliGa said:

Omg yes. Close down abominations  

Honestly Chipotle disgusts me so much, that **** isn't Mexican grill at all. White people love that **** so much I don't understand why 

[Goosey 3,017]

2 hours ago, Morphine Prince said:

“I’m very sympathetic to the issues that were brought up to me. And I’m not for a moment going to tell a person of color that they’re wrong for how they feel.”

I would have kept it open

[Goosey 3,017]

50 minutes ago, Morphine Prince said:

Olive Garden is an It-Am restaurant that DOES claim to be "Italian food" a lot of the time but it's obviously Americanized Italian dishes.

Hawaii is America though... so it doesn't have to be 'obviously Americanized'. It's obviously American by simple fact of being Hawaiian.

[Morphine Prince 109,655]

Just now, Goosey said:

Hawaii is America though... so it doesn't have to be 'obviously Americanized'. It's obviously American by simple fact of being Hawaiian.

What are you talking about? You misread  

[sarahb 17,188]

49 minutes ago, Chrastapher said:

So using this logic should every Chipotle and Taco Bell be closed down too 

Outback Steakhouse too. Like what the hell is a Bloomin' Onion? 

[River 127,399]

1 hour ago, Morphine Prince said:

Well, Pizza Hut specifically call themselves "Italian-Anerican" however based on the ads I see on TV, etc. I don't see them use Italian culture THAT much. 

BUT I do see what you're saying. 

Olive Garden is an It-Am restaurant that DOES claim to be "Italian food" a lot of the time but it's obviously Americanized Italian dishes. However this company does seem to want to come off as authentic when they really aren't. 

As for MOCKING Italian culture, I don't see much of it here. But I'm not Italian so I can't say how they feel and I'm assuming you are. 

The interesting thing about things like pizza is that it has become so ingrained in American culture that at this point it's seen as native. 

So cultural appropriation isn't usually mentioned but it is interesting to see that perspective. 

 

I'm not Italian, my husband is, so I live the Italian culture everyday, especially with food so I learned how much it is important for them, from the names, the history, almost every food has it own story for example,the food is a big culture so I based my thoughts here from being close to Italians, my husband, friends, family..

Like I don't know how many of the pizza hut workers knows the history of the Margherita and what is representing.. Queen Margherita asked for a special pizza that she never ate before, so they made to honor her and her request a pizza that represents the colors of the flag: tomato (red) mozzarella (white)and  basil (green) .. even the Carbonara origin story is very nice..

I don't think to add "American" before the origin country is making it look better, let's say the man from the article would call his restaurant "American-Hawaiian" restaurant, he would get the same backlash imo and also I can understand that it's a long history with the pizza and it became "native", but shouldn't we be able to look at history and say we were wrong and try to make people aware of the mistake and educate them? I don't say that Pizza Hut and the rest need to close down, but at least to delete any Italian symbol and connection..

How is it for example with Sushi restaurants ran by non-Asian owners and workers in the US? is it more acceptable? did some places start to call it "American Sushi" for example? 

 

 

[Katie14 4,828]

I don't understand the whole cultural appropriation issue. Why do people get offended when others "profiting off of their culture" instead of viewing the appropriation as a celebration of their culture.

So if I decide I want to get a henna tattoo and wear a lay to a party because I like the aesthetic of these accessories, am I doing something wrong? Nobody owns a culture and I don't understand how people can get upset when people make music videos, restaurants, songs, ect that have cultural influences outside of their own. 

Can someone seriously explain this to me? 

[Morphine Prince 109,655]

8 minutes ago, River said:

I'm not Italian, my husband is, so I live the Italian culture everyday, especially with food so I learned how much it is important for them, from the names, the history, almost every food has it own story for example,the food is a big culture so I based my thoughts here from being close to Italians, my husband, friends, family..

Like I don't know how many of the pizza hut workers knows the history of the Margherita and what is representing.. Queen Margherita asked for a special pizza that she never ate before, so they made to honor her and her request a pizza that represents the colors of the flag: tomato (red) mozzarella (white)and  basil (green) .. even the Carbonara origin story is very nice..

I don't think to add "American" before the origin country is making it look better, let's say the man from the article would call his restaurant "American-Hawaiian" restaurant, he would get the same backlash imo and also I can understand that it's a long history with the pizza and it became "native", but shouldn't we be able to look at history and say we were wrong and try to make people aware of the mistake and educate them? I don't say that Pizza Hut and the rest need to close down, but at least to delete any Italian symbol and connection..

How is it for example with Sushi restaurants ran by non-Asian owners and workers in the US? is it more acceptable? did some places start to call it "American Sushi" for example? 

 

 

I didn't know all that history tbh. Very nice. 

The reason they add "American" is to make a distinction that it's not authentic X food but rather the American version of it. The US is made of immigrants and many have contributed to what's "American culture" in modern times. 

Pizza and hot dogs are cultural here yet they are not foods that originated here, for example. Yet we have our own versions of these things. 

I don't see Italian symbols being marketed here much tbh. Not in the pizza industry in the large chains at least (besides pizza names). But Olive Garden does, like I said before. 

I think Italian immigrants came to accept some of these things and their descendants (like Gaga) are American and not ACTUAL Italians so they may have a different connection to these dishes than actual Italians. 

Now as for sushi, I never hear anyone compain about that. 

There is a "California roll" which is an American eggroll. California had many Asian immigrants come here so similar story I guess. 

I guess the difference in the USA is that most of these foods were introduced by immigrants of the origin countries and it   slowly integrated in USA culture in general. 

I don't think it's exactly exploiting another culture, especially a marginalized one, when it IS part of our culture. 

In the UK tea became part of their culture even though it came from Asian regions. The UK has developed their own form of tea culture. Also curry from India. As long as they don't claim they invented these things, I don't see the issue. But culture CAN blend without it being exploitation which is what cultural appropriation is concerned with. 

But then again this is just my perspective as a Hispanic American, so take it as you will haha.