yfunk3

Everyone was civil until you came along and forced your views on everyone else. You will be ignored, and don't take the non-answer from me or others as any sort of validation for your ignorance. Thank you for telling minorities and groups to which you do not belong how to react to life and the world.

All I have to say to ML's post is that it's often not the action that's most hated by those who are offended, but the reaction given to those who pointed out the offense. If the Fojols had stopped and said they learned a damn thing from any complaints they received, that's another thing. It probably wouldn't have died down a bit. If someone tells a Gen-Y hipster that he/she shouldn't be making racial jokes and that hipster stops and apologizes, that's the appropriate response, and a lesson was learned. If the hipster goes on and on about how "he has black/Asian/American Indian/whatever friends and how dare you accuse me of racism, YOU'RE the racist for pointing it out, I am so far away from racist, blah blah blah", it's ten times more insulting and offensive. This is something you learn if you face this discrimination on a regular basis or have committed a major offense and responded appropriately. It's not something you learn denying everyone else's feelings and reactions to something you said or did. This goes for any ethnic/cultural group, might I add, not just majority whites. We can go on and on about how it's soceity's fault, but society is made up of individuals with the capacity to learn and think for themselves.

My point was that discussing LGBT discrimination, while very important in the general scheme of society and civil rights, has a very tenuous relation with the Fojol Bros discussion, which is focusing mainly on a racism/xenophobia discussion. I've no doubt that LGBT discrimination is horrible and beyond what I, a heterosexual, will ever be able to truly understand. I also have no doubt that being black in the U.S. is horrible and beyond what I, not a black person, will ever truly understand. I know people are people and need to be treated as such. The horrible-ness of different forms of discrimination wasn't, imo, relevant to the Fojol Bros, especially when I was specifically referring to Americans not being treated as Americans because of the color of their skin (which is what this Orientalist Fojol Bros schtick basically does). I just didn't want to get dragged into a game of "well, other people have it just as bad or worse, too." because it never turns out well for anyone involved.

You're going into territory that was far beyond what I was going to, not that I mind, but I was speaking more of the "white privilege" in regards to the Fojol Bros. franchise and how this type of Orientalism dehumanizes those who already identify as American and "one of you", so to speak. The question of "Why is it so bad to be seen as foreign, exotic, different, an outsider?" Well, not so bad if you actually are one. But what the Orientalism of the Fojol Bros. type does is to drive home that, even in the immigrant-reliant history of the United States, there is a large percentage of Americans who identify as Americans, but are not seen as Americans to the majority population, thus denying equal footing. The issue of the LGBT community is a whole other thing, and equally as depressing and disparaging due to recent events and fervor. As for your first point quoted above, it's quite easy to tell in person if someone is just curious or if someone is just ignorant and has no desire to learn anything about your heritage or culture. I'm not this perpetually angry Asian lady going around yelling at people for asking me about my heritage and don't mind if someone is truly curious or wants something cleared up. The problem is, and this goes with any group of people, no one demographic is monolithic and I can only speak for myself. If you (general you) are offended that I am offended and place the blame of offense back onto me instead of acknowledging some sort of self-awareness, that tells me enough about you for me to avoid any further interaction. That was my point, initially.

But if matzoh balls are considered dumplings, then aren't gnocchi also considered dumplings? Pies are baked in a pan of some kind, to me, and don't necessarily have to contain a dough of some kind. Shepard's pie, for instance.

It does change some things that you live in the Sudan. But the fact that you probably do not live like the majority of the population where you live and are probably in the upper social classes, in part due to your ethnicity and race, does not change your white privilege and pride in being a "novelty". I do apologize if you thought I was insulting you in any way. I want to make it clear I am not, but do realize that your simple question of "what's so wrong with being seen as different?" is incredibly ignorant and somewhat callous to the complicated racial history that not only the history of the United States, but the history of the world since the 1700s, and to those who still have to deal with that fallout. And yes, I did take that question the wrong way because I get that question a lot, unsolicited. I would say on a monthly basis. And it's frustrating when someone just does not want to see how it can be a huge burden.

I see xiao long bao as true dumplings, as they are and have to be fully sealed to keep in the "soup". I basically define dumplings in a broad sense as anything fully encased in a dough of some kind: empanadas, calzones, wontons, xiao long bao, baked or steamed bao, pierogies, knishes, you get the picture. Anything with any type of opening at all ceases to be a dumpling, imho.

Well, the extreme cynic in me surmises that the majority didn't care about it enough until someone from the majority pointed it out in a very public way.

To me, this is a typical example of white privilege. You (general you) don't understand the problem with someone viewing you as a curiosity because you don't have to deal with it every single day of your life, and having your entire personality, abilities, life based solely on what race you are, or what color your skin is, or where you were born/your parents were born. Hypothetically, if you moved to any African nation today and had to deal with this, you'd be fine with it. Who doesn't want to be seen as special? But in reality, you have to deal with it every single day, it's always in the back of your mind, it's a part of you and how you interact with people, it's institutional racism/bigotry. You will never be seen as part of the larger group, like everyone else. Whether you like it or not, it affects how you live your life and you have to question yourself on things that the majority doesn't. Just because one learns to cope with it doesn't mean everything's great and there are no problems.

Precisely. I think that a lot of people, from any culture or nationality, will view whoever "stands out" or is "different" as the one who should be teaching everyone about their special, unique, exotic heritage. Heck, look at the way even British/Irish/Australian people are treated by Americans, like their accents will cure the ailing or something. Quite frankly, minorities everywhere and of any kind have better things to do than teach the ignorant every chance they get, or maybe they just don't want to. It sucks so much energy out of you, getting angry at the prejudices one faces everyday. At some point, you naturally just start asking yourself if anything you say will ever make a difference, and then just go to ignoring and not giving second chances. It's the cynical way, not everyone chooses it, but to be totally honest, I have. And also, one has to wonder why it took so long for this ridiculous Fojol thing to blow up? They've been out for two and a half years, and I remember them being just as ridiculous then.

Like I said, I'm so numb to this type of Orientalism in western culture that it barely ruins my day anymore, though I can get riled up and do like to run my mouth about it if given a chance. Also, the older I get, the less reluctant I am to give people a piece of my mind and just walk away. As for 1.), I'm sure it happens. Racism of any minority group happens in every country, every culture, every city, every town on earth. I'd speak up if people were generalizing about Americans, and have whenever I've been abroad and encountered it. Not that I'm accusing you, Don, of thinking or implying otherwise...but even though I identify as Chinese, I also identify as American, and I am intensely proud of both. What's that Frederick Douglas quote? "He is the lover of his country who rebukes, and does not forgive its sins."

Thank you. I found this truck and their schtick (both the Indian and the Ethiopian versions) offensive in the way that I find (as an East Asian person) the many stereotypic depictions of East Asians in western society offensive. That is to say, I wouldn't make a big fuss out of it because so many people just shrug and don't give a crap about Orientalism due to the fact that they see nothing wrong with it at all. Being "exotic" is seen as a good thing, so exotic = "fun", especially when it's not your culture, heritage and identity being mocked, condensed, simplified and trivialized. Nothing to sue over, but something to just roll my eyes at and avoid supporting in any way. If someone's NOT making money off of it, I would care significantly less. But they're profiting and thriving, which makes me sadder and more cynical than ever. I just wish that, instead of trying to find others to back up their "It's not offensive, it's fun and everyone loves it so you just need to LIGHTEN UP!" defense, they'd at least own up to it in some way. The thing that gets my goat the most are the adament dismissals of those who are actually offended or uncomfortable in some way about this. No one gets to tell someone of another culture/race/group what they should and should not be offended by. Period. If the food is really that good, let the food stand by itself and through word-of-mouth, keep the name maybe, lose the goddamn schtick and say maybe you learned some kind of PR/personal lesson.

It's not a bad alternative if you're looking for something hot for lunch instead of sandwiches and burgers/soup. Just don't get any of the Asian-inspired stuff. Stick with the "Italian" and "American" pasta dishes and you'll probably get a decent lunch worth what you paid. They also give you good birthday deals during your birthday week if you sign up for the emails. And honestly, no one's going to mention that virtually any dining establishment's main course will have at least 2000mg of sodium in it, or more, no matter how "low class" one thinks it is? It's not exactly a problem that exists mainly in the "food for poor people" category.

I've ordered some from Shanghai Peking in Alexandria, and I've really liked them so far. They claim to not use MSG, but again, it might be in some of the products (you'd have to call and make sure, I guess). I don't mind MSG, so I've never asked. I grew up on this stuff, in any case, so maybe I'm immune by now. Heh. I'm hard to please with Chinese-American food since I'm still of the mindset that my dad makes the best, but Shanghai Peking comes the closest I've had in the area. Granted, I don't eat this type of food too much anymore... I've also tried South China on Mt. Vernon in Del Ray, and they're pretty good, especially their Malaysian menu. Their Chinese-American stuff isn't bad, either, but I don't like their crab rangoons too much. Prefer Shanghai Peking for that. Nowhere I've tried makes their own duck sauce around here, which is disapointing re: fried appetizer items. That's why I like Shanghai Peking's crab rangoons - they serve them with the red sweet & sour sauce that's usually served with the fried chicken/pork nuggets. I also have yet to find a good Chinese-American place around here that uses fresh mushrooms in its lo mein, instead of the canned kind. Oh well. Can't win 'em all.

Went for lunch today and they have changed the baguette they use for their banh mi to a more traditional banh mi baguette. Not as delicate or flakey/crusty as it should be, but soft and won't cut the roof of your mouth. Still, I miss the texture of a really good banh mi baguette, or even the bread they used the last time I went here. Got the grilled porkchop fried egg rice platter, and it was great. Pork wasn't tough at all, but juicy, thin and so flavorful. You could taste the char, but it was just the right amount. The fried egg was even still slightly soft in the yolk, which is great because I love letting that lovely yellow yolk drip down and mellow out all the other flavors. Still a solid and great deal for a sit down lunch in the Old Town area. The service was definitely better than last time, too. I went around 2:00 PM, so it wasn't busy, but not completely empty either.