r/Glasgow Tools

Title	The Last Rodeo, Pollokshaws Rd
Author	wee_jimmy_froggy
Body	As a (former dirt poor) Mexican (moved here in 1998), the cultural appropriation for profit of Mexican culture, by this middle class white man, over the last decade grates on me. Was sent a link to others discussing this online today. I’ve been saying this for years and was regularly told to stop being so sensitive. I feel better seeing others on my side. Just a brief summary of him using Mexican culture and whitewashing it for profit: his Mexican cookbook, Mexican t-shirt designs using religious folk art & traditional iconography and Spanish words like Diablo, Luchador and Familia, posting photos of himself wearing a Luchador mask, poncho and sombrero on his social media, calling his luxury shirt brand a Spanish phrase selling shirts again using Mexican inspired designs, opening two bars - one with a Mexican inspired name and both with whitewashed Mexican decor and food. Tex-Mex has a history and culture too - it’s not simply adding the word ‘Mariachi’ to the menu and sticking a portrait of Dolly Parton in the loo. He’s also made money off Indian and African designs (the goddess Kali, Hamsa, mandala) and Tibet (Tibetan tiger) and Native Americans (wearing a NA inspired jacket on his social media, and selling a cross print vest with NA inspired pattern) but to a much lesser extent. My flatmate today said to me that he had just assumed this man had Mexican or at the very least non white heritage (he doesn’t) otherwise why would he think that this is ok to consistently make money from other communities culture. I think this assumption is also the reason why nobody has ever called him out. Just to be clear, I’m not adverse to a non-Mexican opening a Mexican restaurant as long as it’s done authentically and respectfully. And as long as the owner hasn’t a long history of co-opting and borderline fetishising a culture that in some areas - especially when it comes to street food - is steeped in poverty, just to make a quick buck.
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/v93zct/the_last_rodeo_pollokshaws_rd/
Created	Fri 10th Jun 2022 10:37am
Status	normal (Removed by [])

As a (former dirt poor) Mexican (moved here in 1998), the cultural appropriation for profit of Mexican culture, by this middle class white man, over the last decade grates on me.

Was sent a link to others discussing this online today. I’ve been saying this for years and was regularly told to stop being so sensitive. I feel better seeing others on my side.

Just a brief summary of him using Mexican culture and whitewashing it for profit: his Mexican cookbook, Mexican t-shirt designs using religious folk art & traditional iconography and Spanish words like Diablo, Luchador and Familia, posting photos of himself wearing a Luchador mask, poncho and sombrero on his social media, calling his luxury shirt brand a Spanish phrase selling shirts again using Mexican inspired designs, opening two bars - one with a Mexican inspired name and both with whitewashed Mexican decor and food. Tex-Mex has a history and culture too - it’s not simply adding the word ‘Mariachi’ to the menu and sticking a portrait of Dolly Parton in the loo.

He’s also made money off Indian and African designs (the goddess Kali, Hamsa, mandala) and Tibet (Tibetan tiger) and Native Americans (wearing a NA inspired jacket on his social media, and selling a cross print vest with NA inspired pattern) but to a much lesser extent.

My flatmate today said to me that he had just assumed this man had Mexican or at the very least non white heritage (he doesn’t) otherwise why would he think that this is ok to consistently make money from other communities culture. I think this assumption is also the reason why nobody has ever called him out.

Just to be clear, I’m not adverse to a non-Mexican opening a Mexican restaurant as long as it’s done authentically and respectfully. And as long as the owner hasn’t a long history of co-opting and borderline fetishising a culture that in some areas - especially when it comes to street food - is steeped in poverty, just to make a quick buck.