A Corvallis restaurant owner is apologizing a week after opening up a Tiki bar downtown and being accused of cultural appropriation and insensitivity.
“I unintentionally made a mistake and I’m very sorry,” said Cloud Davidson, in an interview on Friday.
The Hapuna Kahuna Tiki Bar & Kitchen — until recently, the location was Cloud & Kelly’s Public House, an Irish pub — will close Sunday and reopen Sunday night as an extension of the Downward Dog, an adjacent bar that Davidson owns. Hapuna Kahuna started its short run on June 22.
Davidson said that residents of Polynesian ancestry, including those with the Oregon State University Asian and Pacific Cultural Center, complained about a combination of factors such as the use of a Hawaiian name, traditional iconography displayed in a cartoonish way, and how plastic leis were handed off to customers.
“I’m very sympathetic to the issues that were brought up to me. And I’m not for a moment going to tell a person of color that they’re wrong for how they feel,” Davidson said.
There also were grumbles, however, that Davidson wasn’t selling authentic Hawaiian fare.
In a Facebook post apology to the community in general, Davidson said he will remove the culturally significant items from the space, and reopen by 7:30 p.m. Sunday, when live music is scheduled to begin. The Downward Dog extension will continue to serve tropical drinks that were offered at the Tiki bar.
The controversy ended up spurring an interesting — and sometimes confusing — community discussion, Davidson acknowledged.
Some Hawaiians and other Polynesians liked the Tiki-themed bar and didn’t want him to change it, Davidson said.
A local Facebook forum also had numerous comments about the situation, including questions of whether it was appropriate for chefs to cook ethnic food that wasn’t from their ancestry, such as a Korean chef running a sushi joint, since the cuisine is Japanese; discussion on the origins of Tiki “culture” as an inauthentic fantasy mashup of tropical influences, and how there are Tiki bars in Hawaii; and comments on the evolution of Hawaiian cuisine to include items from numerous cultures, including those of Asian and Western countries.
Why did no one bitch and cry about the Irish pub?
Why did no one bitch and cry about the Irish pub?
People need to stop giving in to these fucking assholes.
It sounds to me like he was sympathetic to those who took issue with it, which I can not fault him for.
Solid Snake07 posted...
Why did no one bitch and cry about the Irish pub?
They don't care, recognize, or have double standards when it comes to "white cultures".
Something something colonialism.
I remembered this is the left and he probably received death threats.
Why did no one bitch and cry about the Irish pub?
He has seen what these crazies can do in his state.
Why did no one bitch and cry about the Irish pub?
Can you give examples of things the crazies have done in his state?
voldothegr8 posted...
He has seen what these crazies can do in his state.
Can you give examples of things the crazies have done in his state?
_Near_ posted...
voldothegr8 posted...
I remembered this is the left and he probably received death threats.
Right. That's why there's 0 evidence of any threats.
Poor voldothegr8 has been going insane recently. This CNN thing seems to have pushed him into full alt-right "liberals are coming to get me!" crazy. Sad!
eston posted...
Can you give examples of things the crazies have done in his state?
Islamophobic Trump supporters stabbing and killing people in the train?
eston posted...
voldothegr8 posted...
He has seen what these crazies can do in his state.
Can you give examples of things the crazies have done in his state?
Basically this exact thing happened before.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article153143034.html
Was this done because a restaurant appropriated someone's culture?
I'm just glad my favorite spaghetti restaurant in Southern California isn't in jeopardy of shutting down because Italians are angry that Mexicans kick ass at making spaghetti.
ThePrinceFish posted...
I'm just glad my favorite spaghetti restaurant in Southern California isn't in jeopardy of shutting down because Italians are angry that Mexicans kick ass at making spaghetti.
My ass can make spaghetti
E32005 posted...
ThePrinceFish posted...
I'm just glad my favorite spaghetti restaurant in Southern California isn't in jeopardy of shutting down because Italians are angry that Mexicans kick ass at making spaghetti.
My ass can make spaghetti
I don't want your ass spaghetti
Mom's assghetti
I'm just glad my favorite spaghetti restaurant in Southern California isn't in jeopardy of shutting down because Italians are angry that Mexicans kick ass at making spaghetti.
Anarchy_Juiblex posted...
eston posted...
voldothegr8 posted...
He has seen what these crazies can do in his state.
Can you give examples of things the crazies have done in his state?
Basically this exact thing happened before.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article153143034.html
That's the only other one I was aware of, and it did not seem to escalate beyond criticism and bad reviews. Not exactly crazy behavior
A local Facebook forum also had numerous comments about the situation, including questions of whether it was appropriate for chefs to cook ethnic food that wasn’t from their ancestry, such as a Korean chef running a sushi joint, since the cuisine is Japanese; discussion on the origins of Tiki “culture” as an inauthentic fantasy mashup of tropical influences, and how there are Tiki bars in Hawaii; and comments on the evolution of Hawaiian cuisine to include items from numerous cultures, including those of Asian and Western countries.
I guess all those Latino cooks in Chinese Food restaurants should check their privilege.
iPhone_7 posted...
I guess all those Latino cooks in Chinese Food restaurants should check their privilege.
You should check out northern Virginia, I'd say like 90% of the restaurants there have Spanish people doing the cooking.
@Anarchy_Juiblex ? Your response?
That_Happened posted...
@Anarchy_Juiblex ? Your response?
I dunno, "crazy" is a pretty subjective word. Personally I think publishing a bitch fit article though your "alternate media" and starting a campaign to boycott a woman over tacos is crazy.
Or are you wanting to know if I have more examples? I don't fucking keep a library of this shit.
your example was nothing at all like this one
That_Happened posted...
your example was nothing at all like this one
NOTHING like this one? Nothing? Wow that's just, ridiculous.
Anarchy_Juiblex posted...
That_Happened posted...
your example was nothing at all like this one
NOTHING like this one? Nothing? Wow that's just, ridiculous.
Situation 1: Guy opens Hawaiian restaurant that displays Hawaiian culture in a cartoonish way, and serves inauthentic food. Actual Hawaiians and Polynesians complain.
Situation 2: Two white women go to Mexico and steal recipes from women who did not want to give those recipes up. Then they come back and create a burrito stand and brag about the theft. At that point, the bad reviews start coming in from all kinds of people. They probably wouldn't have gotten the backlash had they kept that a secret.
Neither situation involved "crazies." Except for possibly the women peeking in the windows of every burrito place in Mexico.
Some Hawaiians and other Polynesians liked the Tiki-themed bar and didn’t want him to change it, Davidson said.
That_Happened posted...
Anarchy_Juiblex posted...
That_Happened posted...
your example was nothing at all like this one
NOTHING like this one? Nothing? Wow that's just, ridiculous.
Situation 1: Guy opens Hawaiian restaurant that displays Hawaiian culture in a cartoonish way, and serves inauthentic food. Actual Hawaiians and Polynesians complain.
Situation 2: Two white women go to Mexico and steal recipes from women who did not want to give those recipes up. Then they come back and create a burrito stand and brag about the theft. At that point, the bad reviews start coming in from all kinds of people. They probably wouldn't have gotten the backlash had they kept that a secret.
Neither situation involved "crazies." Except for possibly the women peeking in the windows of every burrito place in Mexico.
In situation 2 you left out the part where the ladies received death threats. That's not crazy to you?