“People. Is this a real thing? This can’t be real,” asks blogger Angry Asian Man in regards to an Austin food truck called White Girl Asian Food (its other name is Com Bun Yeu, or “Rice Noodle Love” in Vietnamese).
The food truck’s name has triggered people’s dismissal of basic white privilege, no doubt. People are tweeting out comments ranging from “being white doesn’t mean you take whatever you want” to “[this is] another example of how messed up cultural commodification is.”
https://twitter.com/byanoski/status/579552977712726016
Others believe it is an up-front way of branding, and much more honest than a white chef making what she or he deems “authentic” Asian food. White Girl Asian Food says exactly what the truck is, but on the flip side, it co-opts an entire continent’s cuisine, puts it under one umbrella, and slaps a white-person stamp on it. Nevertheless, the food looks pretty decent.
Let’s take a look at Twitter and Facebook to see what people have to say about the White Girl Asian Food truck.
SOME PEOPLE THINK THE NAME IS #PROBLEMATIC
https://twitter.com/MelodyRood/status/687742798666272768
https://twitter.com/18millionrising/status/687811807956738048
https://twitter.com/HyunINC/status/688051452711989248
I sure hope White Girl Asian Food sells Pumpkin Spice Fried Rice! #foodtruck https://t.co/uAH9eAxK7w pic.twitter.com/90TRu0hNTH
— Stephanie Chan (@StephanieChan) January 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/fabienneChan/status/687736144763564032
WHILE OTHERS THINK IT’S REFRESHINGLY HONEST
https://twitter.com/Jose_Galvan/status/687774404437135360
@YuuHattori white girl asian food is so accurate though… weeps. I mean my Vietnamese is pretty shot but yooo
— Lemon Cake (@Milreaf) January 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/YuuHattori/status/687729474339762176
https://twitter.com/DeliveryBoyPete/status/686667754208903169
What do you think? Leave your opinions right down there in the comments section.