Food might be the yardstick that unites people of all castes, creeds, and cultures. Well, this time is no exception. The students at liberal Ohio College have joined hands together in order to protest against the fried chicken, sushi, and General Tso’s chicken and Vietnamese sandwiches served in the school cafeterias. The students have claimed that these dishes are not at all original and are cheap knockoffs. The students have explicitly declared in the Oberlin Review that they find the dishes insensitive and culturally inappropriate.
Oberlin Review flooded with negative comments
The students at the famous and liberal Oberlin College have made a written complaint via their school newspaper that the meals smack of racism, and they demanded meetings with campus dining officials and the college president. A student from the Ohio college claims that the General Tso’s chicken at one of the campus dining facilities was steamed instead of fried. The student, named Hiu-Ying, a sophomore from China, told the Oberlin Review that the steamed chicken dish that was claimed to be same as China’s was not same as the original dish. According to her, the dish looked so weird that she did not want to try it. The complaints also claimed that the dish was steamed instead of fried.
Another student had an issue with the banh mi Vietnamese sandwiches. The sandwiches at Ohio College were served with Cole slaw instead of pickled vegetables and on ciabatta bread instead of the traditional French baguette. Diep Nguyn, a freshman from Vietnam told the Oberlin Review, “It was ridiculous. How could they just throw out something completely different and label it as another country’s traditional food?” A Japanese student, Tomoyo Joshi, said that the state of undercooked rice and lack of fresh fish in the sushi rolls is disrespectful. “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 the culture. So if people not from that heritage take food, modify it and serve it as ‘authentic,’ it is appropriative,” said Tomoyo.
Problems increase as more communities join
When asked about the issues, the school’s services management said the dishes were a result of Bon Appetit’s urge for cultural and nutritional diversity. Bon Appetit is the food service management company contracted by Oberlin College. Earlier, the black student union at Oberlin staged a protest outside the Afrikan Heritage House. They filed a petition to make fried chicken a permanent feature on the Sunday night menu and provide more vegan and vegetarian options.
As per the Oberlin Review, the students also made recommendations about how to properly prepare food and reduce the amount of cream used in dishes. The food fight also has students protesting for better treatment of dining service employees. The demands include a guaranteed 40-hour workweek, benefits for part-time workers, personal days, funding for job training, and increased wages. The food fight was also joined by a Nevada-based Universal Society of Hinduism when students discovered that the traditional Indian dish tandoori contained beef, which they consider sacred.
Be the first to comment on "Oberlin Review says that students find cafeteria food racist"