Jump to content

Is this racist?


Wilbur

Recommended Posts

We have a new restaurant in town.  The owners are local guys, one of Potuguese decent, the other is Italian.  The menu is  Portuguese/ Italian fusion.  I went there the other day.  Food is great and prices reflect that.  

The name though, is Chop and Wop. 

For those who may not know, the derogatory slang for Portuguese is "pork chop". 

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Don Cherry said:

We have a new restaurant in town.  The owners are local guys, one of Potuguese decent, the other is Italian.  The menu is  Portuguese/ Italian fusion.  I went there the other day.  Food is great and prices reflect that.  

The name though, is Chop and Wop. 

For those who may not know, the derogatory slang for Portuguese is "pork chop". 

And you went and ate there??!  My oh my.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, Don Cherry said:

We have a new restaurant in town.  The owners are local guys, one of Potuguese decent, the other is Italian.  The menu is  Portuguese/ Italian fusion.  I went there the other day.  Food is great and prices reflect that.  

The name though, is Chop and Wop. 

For those who may not know, the derogatory slang for Portuguese is "pork chop". 

I just checked out the web site. Gonna have to give it a try.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Don Cherry said:

We have a new restaurant in town.  The owners are local guys, one of Potuguese decent, the other is Italian.  The menu is  Portuguese/ Italian fusion.  I went there the other day.  Food is great and prices reflect that.  

The name though, is Chop and Wop. 

For those who may not know, the derogatory slang for Portuguese is "pork chop". 

Everyone I know in Central Maryland of Polish descent including me - and those of non-Polish descent, speak fondly of Polack Johnny's, whose trademark "Polish sausage" is basically an extra-long hotdog that's sort of a cross between kielbasa and a regular pork hot dog.  The restaurant is now closed and has become an outlet store, but some restaurants are licensed to sell Polock Johnny's dogs and some supermarkets sell them packaged.  No one I know considers it racist.

ia_10013.jpg.602f1b52fcb6bb24acade22e15239f34.jpg  ia_10002.jpg.d835461cddab9f7f674336a0492716a1.jpg 

Capture.JPG.1708094e5cff6b569854a797c5850b31.JPGia_10007.jpg.8ef0e856c9a069b05f43b12e95d6510d.jpg

Every time one of us on my mother's side of the family does something smart or accomplishes something we'll say to each other something like, "Smart Polack!" or something else with "Polack" in it.  When some in an ethnic group do something clearly excellent, they often wear the derogatory name they're called like a badge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think if black people opened a restaurant and used a derogatory racial term to describe themselves in the name, it would be considered extremely inappropriate.  I guess it has been decided that it is okay for blacks to use the N word in speech and music, but to use that word on a public sign would be insane.  Maybe "chop" and "wop" are lesser examples, but still very wrong, IMO.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Road Runner said:

I think if black people opened a restaurant and used a derogatory racial term to describe themselves in the name, it would be considered extremely inappropriate.  I guess it has been decided that it is okay for blacks to use the N word in speech and music, but to use that word on a public sign would be insane.  Maybe "chop" and "wop" are lesser examples, but still very wrong, IMO.  

I would tend to agree.

A permanent public sign and business with name doesn't necessarily ring well long term.  It does stir up curiosity which is probably what they might want. Will novelty fade? Maybe. Things might last longer in suburbs compared to downtown Toronto where restaurant business is cutthroat and highly competitive.

There is newish Asian fusion restaurant in my prairie city that is Mr. Chen's Asian Braisserie… it is owned and run by a non-Asian (which is fine).  Dishes look ok on menu.  I find the interior of some paintings/photos quite sexist/racist....it sorta of takes  the old stereotype of exotic Asian women...which I dislike.      (Note: there are several restaurants world-wide which by coincidence use Mr. Chen in name but they are all independent and created by Chinese owners that have no connection to this fusion restaurant.)

https://www.opentable.sg/r/mister-chens-asian-brasserie-calgary  See the photo here.  It actually bothered me, the feminist part of me....even if she wore a strapless dress, it would be fine..

https://calgaryherald.com/life/food/john-gilchrist-favourite-local-chef-duncan-ly-makes-dream-of-foreign-concept-a-reality   Contrast to this restaurant also fusion Asian.  The owner is Vietnamese-CAnadian and Western trained, chef -worked in Europe.  See the photo behind the chef-owner...he has several arty photos where the Asian women wear high necked traditional dresses...which is considered classy..and respectable.....and real.  I forgot to tell you....he is married to a Caucasian. 

Both of the restaurants are popular in town to all customers of all backgrounds (I think but I've never felt like going to Chen's), but for some different reasons....both offer pan Asian cuisine.  It's the ambience, vibe differences, I guess.  Guess which restaurant I would go and bring my family, good friends (male or female)?  :)  We're paying for a meal and I would like everyone to feel comfortable.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm trying to reconcile the idea of restaurant that included Chink in the name.  I'm sorry..there's such bad associations with it personally because strangers have yelled it to me occasionally out as a negative slur.  There are enough social media comments in the area of discussion on racism and personal memoirs in books, where chink has flung so negatively for so long.

Interestingly wonder how crab pollack came about...processed crab..

For instance awhile ago, there was an establishment "Wok and Roll"...I thought it was clever since it was on point...on things culinary and food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

I'm trying to reconcile the idea of restaurant that included Chink in the name.  I'm sorry..there's such bad associations with it personally because strangers have yelled it to me occasionally out as a negative slur.  There are enough social media comments in the area of discussion on racism and personal memoirs in books, where chink has flung so negatively for so long.

Interestingly wonder how crab pollack came about...processed crab..

For instance awhile ago, there was an establishment "Wok and Roll"...I thought it was clever since it was on point...on things culinary and food.

Crab pollack is artificial crab meat made from Pollack, a fish.  Image result for pollack

There have been two US Submarines named for the Pollack.  The USS Pollack SSN 603 was often alongside the pier in Norfolk when I was there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...