In one of the more pathetic examples in the “anti-racism” student activism of 2015 students at Oberlin College have accused the institution of insensitivity and “cultural appropriation” based on the menu in their dining hall.
This is supposedly because the recipes aren’t using the complete correct ingredients to be traditionally accurate to their origins.
Proving that the privileged truly have nothing better to do with their time, students wrote screeds of protest for the on campus publication and demanded a meeting with campus dining officials as well as the college president.
Chief offenders are the General Tso’s chicken for containing steamed chicken over the fried variety and Banh Mi Vietnamese sandwiches for using coleslaw over pickled vegetables. One first year Vietnamese student, quoted in the Oberlin Review, said “It was ridiculous. How could they just throw out something completely different and label it as another country’s traditional food?”
Another student from Japan, who labelled the college’s attempts at Sushi as “disrespectful,” added “when you’re cooking a country’s dish for other people, including ones who have never tried the original dish before, you’re also representing the meaning of the dish as well as its culture. So if people not from that heritage take food, modify it and serve it as ‘authentic,’ it is appropriative.”
If that wasn’t enough the inclusion of an Indian style beef curry was slammed for being insulting to Hindus. “Consuming beef was considered sacrilegious among Hindus” said Universal Society of Hinduism president Rajan Zed. He is also reported to have demanded meetings with college officials.
Rather than dismiss this nonsense for what it is it seems the college have engaged with their student body and have made changes designed to appease them. Campus dietitian Michele Gross confirmed to the Oberlin Review that meetings between officials and students “went well” and the concerns are being addressed.
It’s enough to give you an upset stomach.