Is The McDonald’s Asian Salad Racist?
When you hear the words “McDonald’s Asian Salad” uttered together–which bills itself as “the perfect combination of deliciousness with snow peas, mandarin oranges and edamame…topped with Newman’s Own® Low-Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing”–is “racist” the first thing that comes to mind?
Seen tagged in L.A., photo by John Fitzgerald
Or do you, like me, think: “How many times does your mom have to drop you on your head as a baby for you to order salad at McDonald’s?”
[McDonald's website: Premium Asian Salad]
Thanks, Fitz and Meatbars!
Filed under: Asian Food, Asian Salads, Fast Food, Fast Food Salads, Graffiti, Harmony, I'm Lovin' It, McDonald's, McDonald's Asian Salad, McDonald's Premium Asian Salad, McDonald's Salads, Mickey D's, Racist Food, Tagging, WTF?
Because Asians don’t start sentences with a capital letter?
Speaking of McDonald’s being racist, you’ll appreciate what my son found on his cheeseburger a few months ago that I tweeted:
http://busydad.posterous.com/i-know-they-have-to-keep-track-of-who-ordered
Hmmm…maybe I’ll be blasted for this one but…seems over here in Wisconsin we’re having race issues popping up left and right (and not the normal, hillbilly issues) – I don’t see what’s racist about saying “harmony”. It’s not like they said “GONG! Are ZEN SARAD LOVE YOU LONG TIME” or something.
Maybe this salad would be racist if it was served on a gong. Or maybe the Asian conical hat from American Apparel?
I DO see this as being, at the very least, stereotypical and definitely would consider this racist. Why? No you don’t need an f-ing gong or something super blatant. I live in portland which lives by the euphemism “oblivious racism” (as if those on the receiving end of racism ever are oblivious to it). Perhaps that’s what is happening here. All sarcasm aside (including the sarcastic responses above), this is offensive to me because it harkens the image of the “well-behaved minority”, us “submissive orientals” and other such demure, helpless and passive citizens. It is the same foundation upon which asian males have been emasculated (through film or other cultural media) and the same foundation upon which asians are not expected to object to stupid crap. Sure it’s not blatantly, in-your-face offensive such as what we see happening to other brown/black people in this country these days, but DO try to keep an open mind: once we’re able to articulate why even seemingly trivial (trivial to others, that is: me, I’ve been given the “dragon lady” treatment because I am not “harmonious” and object to offensive crap so to me it is not trivial), this country might actually be able to move forward into the 21st century. Thanks for listening.
I think it has nothing to do with emasculation, but everything to do with how food like sweet & spicy chicken is considered Asian, when it was born in America, or Siracha, which is made in the USA. So without understanding the history of food, people attribute food to a culture/race/heritage/what-have-you.
By the way, I like both of the above foods myself.