More micro-aggressional madness, this time from the op-ed essay Why Is Asian Salad Still on the Menu? by Bonnie Tsui, the author of American Chinatown: A People’s History of Five Neighborhoods:
...So what’s my problem with Asian salad? It’s not the salad itself, though it’s not my favorite. It’s the words — which, I think, matter. In many ways, the broad, generic terminology used to refer to an entire continent is the heart of it. Applebee’s menu features an “Oriental chicken salad” with the following description: “fresh Asian greens tossed in a tasty Oriental vinaigrette.” The “Asian greens” and “Oriental vinaigrette” are so laughably vague as to have no meaning at all. When I asked Applebee’s for more specifics on what made its Asian greens Asian and its Oriental vinaigrette Oriental, a spokesman told me the company was unable to “provide a thorough response.” No kidding.Read the entire article HERE.
Am I taking this too seriously? The casual racism of the Asian salad stems from the idea of the exotic — who is and isn’t American is caught up wholesale in its creation. This use of “Oriental” and “Asian” is rooted in the wide-ranging, “all look same” stereotypes of Asian culture that most people don’t really perceive as being racist. It creates a kind of blind spot....
One commenter to the article opined:
Really??? I recommend getting a humor salad with some lighten up dressing.Sadly, America has become a land of whiners. If there is nothing substantial about which to whine, an offense is created out of whole cloth. It is fashionable to complain — particularly if the complaint issued is "Racism!"
Twenty-first Century mankind — yes, including those of us who blog and frequent blogs — would do well to remember these words:
Related reading: Complaining Is Terrible for You, According to Science: Steeping yourself in negativity has seriously terrible consequences for your mental and physical health. Venting is not of as much value as previously thought.
We should continue to laugh at such nonsense, lampoon it, and continue on with our lives.
ReplyDeleteSuch people have too much time on their hands, and they insist on unleashing their brain goblins on innocent people.
We have all suffered, friends, family and coworkers who enjoyed stirring trouble and making misery, but now the internet allows these pain-in-the-asses to bedevil millions...
I agree with you in principle, Silverfiddle but I think ridicule encourages their sense of victimhood.
DeleteSilence seems the best way to handle these harpies.
I had lunch at my local Italian joint and had baked ravioli, al diablo.
I'm sure that's offensive to someone out there.
SF,
DeleteIt stuns me that ANYONE takes this nonsense seriously.
But recently I ran into some people who had meltdowns over the use of the word "Oriental" instead of "Asian." These people were discussing a novel at the web site GoodReads. The author of the novel, a Chinese woman, got defensive of her use of "Oriental" in her novel, whicH was set in the 1970s, when "Oriental was the more common term. The commenters didn't accept her explanation -- they were highly offended. Sheesh.
Hair trigger offendedness.
DeleteJust waiting to go off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mTlnrXFAXE
ReplyDelete