<p>My younger sister is a junior in her high school and apparently there's been controversy in her school about the recent lunch menu. Read the menu for April 28th (including what is being served):</p>
<p>...do you see this as problematic and racist? Is this something that was a bad idea on the part of her school? I find this highly amusing yet it's a very, very ignorant generalization.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s racist (that is, considering some race inferior), but I do think it’s problematic. I think it would be one thing to call it “southern food day” or to have “Chinese food” day, but another story entirely to have “African American day” or “Caucasian American Day” or what have you.</p>
<p>Lol… This is definitely very stereotyped and could be considered offensive. However, what if there were an Asian Day with rice and stuff or a Mexican Day with tacos? Would that still be considered offensive?</p>
<p>That’s kinda funny. Atleast they excluded Watermelon.</p>
<p>But in all seriousness, that crosses the line just enough to be controversial. I don’t think anyone’s gonna be offended though by someone generalizing what kind of food they eat?</p>
<p>Still looks like a delicious lunch to me.</p>
<p>In order of probability</p>
<ol>
<li>Coincidence</li>
<li>Failed Attempt to serve southern food</li>
<li>Malicious intent</li>
</ol>
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<p>The difference is that the terms “Asian” and “Mexican” can easily refer to geographical areas, whereas “African American” is clearly referring to a group of people. I wouldn’t take it as offensive, personally, but it’s distasteful (no pun intended).</p>
<p>No, it is not racist.
If it were any other ethnic group, I’m not so sure that said group would have an issue with it.
The African American ethnic group as a whole takes a vested interest in seeking out discrimination against their culture when, despite acknowledged and reversed wrongdoings by the American government in particular, there really is not much to be upset over.
I think if the culture doesn’t start taking this view in their “whistleblowing” antics then it will only experience a stasis in progress for the group as a whole.</p>
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<p>LMAO. and kool-aid! & orange soda but they probably wouldn’t be able to serve that w/ a lunch…</p>
<p>hahaha that lunch menu is kinda funny…but i think it would be stupid to create controversy over it …</p>
<p>^^ It may not be racist, but it’s an unfair racial generalization. Since African Americans are steryotyped to eat “baked chicken, collard greens, corn bread, watermelon and koolaid,” the school obviously took that into account and made a bad racial generalization. Which can cause problems.</p>
<p>I think it should’ve been “southern day” or something.</p>
<p>**** you’re so ungrateful.
At least you have good food.
My school? 4 choices only: pizza, chicken nuggets, calzone & hamburgers…EVERYDAY.</p>
<p>I keep hearing things about watermelon and kool-aid, but I have no idea how they relate to African Americans.</p>
<p>I guess I’ve never heard of the stereotype.</p>
<p>hahahahaha</p>
<p>if there’s a “mexican food day” or a “chinese food day” it’s fine, but a “african-american” food day is just out of the question, that’s so ridiculous</p>
<p>Our school has large variety but like everything is super expensive</p>
<p>Like a hot dog is 2 dollars</p>
<p>a wrap w/ chips is 3.50</p>
<p>nachos with cheese and ground beef + random stuff is 3 dollars</p>
<p>Soda is 1.50
Gatorade and all other drinks are 2.00
The dippin dots machine THAT NOBODY USES tries to sell us scant ice spheres for FOUR DOLLARS. FOUR. </p>
<p>People normally spend 4+ dollars on lunch</p>
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<p>Well, I definitely agree that the African Americans, in part, take a vested interested in seeking out discrimination against their ethnicity (I really don’t think culture is the right word here). However, I disagree that there is “not much to be upset over.” I also disagree that other ethnic groups would have an issue with it, mostly because it hasn’t happened with other ethnic groups. Like I said, “Mexican” and “Asian” food days would refer to geographic areas; “Cajun” and “French” food days refer directly to cultures, not to people. “African American” refers directly to a group of people. I realize it’s a fine line, but my problem with the whole issue is, why even walk it? Why would they do that?</p>
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<p>I think you’re missing the point, or maybe I’m just explaining it poorly. “Mexican food day” = “Southern food day.” Those are locations. “African American food day” = “illegal immigrant food day” = “overachiever food day” or whatever the case may be. It would be one thing to say southern; i.e., to relate to the food of a certain region. It’s another to suggest “food that black people eat” or “food that white people eat” or “food that brown people eat.”</p>
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<p>so “African-American” is an insult now? i thought it was supposed to be the polite way to say it, you politically correct types are confusing.</p>
<p>That lunch menu is so funny and random. It’s just a whole month of normal lunches, then there’s Twins home opener and African American day. Out of all the possibilities, these two days are the ones that they choose to make a themed lunch for… weird.</p>
<p>Mexicans are kind of referring to a race because most mexicans (I think) have mestizo culture. So I agree with LogicWarrior. Same with chinese food day.</p>
<p>It’s not intentionally racist … it’s stupidly ignorant. “African American Day.” Wow. So sad.</p>
<p>@porkperson - I would gladly spend $4 on dippin dots if my school had a machine for that. And $1.50 for soda and $2.00 for Gatorade. My school has none of that.</p>
<p>Chinese = location</p>
<p>Mexican = location</p>
<p>African American is NOT location. It’s a kind of person.</p>
<p>It’s generalizing to a group of specific people and their eating habits, rather than the food native to a certain country. A “mexican person day” or “asian person day” would be equivalent to what this school did, but “chinese day” or “mexican day” would not.</p>