"Recently, we started a conversation about food and race. Specifically, we wondered out loud, who gets to cook — and become the face of — a culture’s cuisine?
Our question was prompted by a recent Sporkful interview with Rick Bayless, who has faced criticism over his long career. Although he is an Oklahoman with no Mexican ancestry, he has become one of the most prominent ambassadors for Mexican cuisine in America." …
I’m an ambassador of pizza.
First World problems…
Could we please stop acting as though each of us were assigned immutable food/ clothing/hairstyles/customs at birth?
And can we also please stop acting as though each person only comes from one cultural background? Good lord, the vast majority of Americans I know are, like me, “mutts” - mixtures of all different kinds of ancestry. I’m personally a mix of German, Polish, Latvian and Irish. Half Catholic, half Jewish. What’s my “culture”? Whatever the heck I want it to be. Because I’m American, I can dress how I want, do my hair how I want, cook and eat whatever the heck I want and I am not obligated to color within the lines of whatever my ancestors might have done.
I see Swedish massages all over the place, but I haven’t seen any Swedes object.
Who invented coffee?
My colleague, who is from Egypt, took me to a middle eastern restaurant that he regularly patronizes and where he very much enjoys the food. The owner/chef is a young English guy with no connection to any middle eastern culture (expect by choice)…
Next thing you know you get criticized for eating pizza with a fork.
" I see Swedish massages all over the place, but I haven’t seen any Swedes object "
That could be because they don’t actually know what that means 
I think we , as a nation should stop being perpetually offended.
And FWIW, the best Mexican food in our area is a little hole in the wall place with a red -headed Irish American owner / cook.
@gouf78 OMG: you eat pizza with a fork?? Whatsamattayou???
Perhaps some folks have either not enough real problems or too much time on their hands?
Anyway if I open a restaurant, which is certainly possible, it will be Italian, although I have have no connection to the country or culture. One, because I personally like Italian cuisine; two, because a lot of potential customers like it; and three, because it is easy.
When is it okay to profit from cooking other Cultures’ Food?
When you get really good at it and people are willing to pay actual money to eat it.
@gouf78: Yes! (re:#10) and @Pizzagirl: I think of several places where I’d love to repost your comment (#2) but it would probably be removed for being “insensitive.” Sheesh!
“Who invented coffee?”
My lattes and cappuccinos at Starbucks probably don’t bear much relationship to what they are like in Italy. Oh well! So it goes.
Who invented coffee? Supposedly some goat herder from ninth century Ethiopia (according to wiki)
Thankfully somebody (lots of somebodies) decided to improve on it over the next several centuries.
The only foods/drinks that haven’t been appropriated by other cultures and improved/changed to suit tastes are the ones nobody likes. No profit motive.
^ Yup, no one’s trying to appropriate vegemite away from the Australians or haggis away form the Scots… 
Don’t forget lutefisk!
Perhaps this should be extended to bars as well - owners should only sell alcohol from their heritage.
^ This is definitely the answer.
Hershey’s and Swiss chocolate makers owe me reparations for appropriation of my cultural food.
A couple pounds of chocolate delivered to my house monthly would be a nice start. :))
I find most of this “cultural appropriation” business to be so silly. IMO, someone should be able to dress/eat/cook/speak/listen to music, etc. in any way they want, as long as they’re not trying to ridicule or make fun of a culture. America is supposed to be a melting pot, where we appreciate and celebrate all cultures. We also have protections of speech, which can be extended to all sorts of self-expression. Besides, if i didn’t cook or eat food from other cultures, I would starve to death. My nearest non-mixed race/culture ancestor is my great-grandmother who was Native American. Buffalo jerky and parched corn anyone?
Maybe it is time that philosophy classes are mandated in college.
Do people who think this stuff in the name of respect for other cultures not compute that they would make George Wallace proud because it persuasively expands his base belief?
Recall, “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” Wallace was just talking about people, but why stop there? According to the cultural appropriators’ position, we need to institute segregation to everything supposedly “created” by other cultures and races.
A couple classes in logic might be helpful, as this appropriation meme does beg the question, "Why in the world be together, if we cannot enjoy each other’s “good stuff?”
People are clearly not thinking that far ahead or re Wallace, not that far back historically, as they are repeating history they say they are adamantly against.
(BTW, just joking - I do not believe in such mandates)