LIVE TO EAT AND DRINK: "It’s unsurprising that the two crucial figures in Tiki’s history were notorious liars."

Photo credit.

“It’s hard to appropriate a culture that was made up in the first place.”

“A nostalgia that is nostalgic for nostalgia itself.”

"When 21st century Tiki fails to be authentic, it settles for being authentically inauthentic."

Tiki bars aren't my sort of pleasure, but to each his or her own. This duly noted, here's an absolutely riveting overview of how Tiki ever came to exist in America, why it went away, and speculation about the reasons for the genre's comeback.

This is an uncommonly excellent essay.

The Tiki Bar Resurgence of the Trump Era, by Jackson Arn (The Nation)

It’s tacky and willfully inauthentic. Of course it’s popular again.

“It’s gotten too tacky.”
-- Donald Trump, when asked why he was closing Trader Vic’s at The Plaza, 1989

Ignore, if you can, the fact that the man who spoke these words is famous for gold buildings, gold seat belt buckles, and gold hair, and then ask yourself, “Did he have a point?”

By 1988, the year Trump bought the Plaza Hotel, the Trader Vic’s in the basement—probably the most famous branch of the most famous Tiki bar chain in the world—had become that dullest of things, a New York Institution. Three decades’ worth of prep school kids, ad men, and movie stars had been fattened on its spareribs, Samoan Fog Cutters, kava bowls, curry puffs, and pu-pu platters, and when Trump told the Times about his plans for The Plaza, it was predictably outraged. Even Richard Nixon weighed in: “It was always our daughter’s favorite restaurant,” he said, “and it quickly became mine, too.”

Then and now, Tiki provokes these kinds of strong reactions—either it’s insufferable or it’s the best. It’s my friends’ favorite genre of bar, or it’s the worst thing they’ve ever heard of. With their plastic grass, pink paper umbrellas, and yellowing ceramic skull mugs, Tiki bars have been on the cutting edge of tackiness for the better part of their 80-year history. And yet it is the humble Tiki bar, increasingly, where young urban epicures go in search of fresh-squeezed mixers, painstakingly aged liqueurs, wild-fermented imported liquors—in short, “authenticity.” A slew of high-profile new Tiki spots have opened in the last few years—Manhattan’s Mother of Pearl, San Francisco’s Smuggler’s Cove, Chicago’s Three Dots and a Dash—stocked with world-class ingredients and manned by top-tier bartenders. For Americans who were of drinking age in the middle of the last century, this turn of events must seem especially bizarre—since when were Tiki bars authentic or world-class in any way?

You can’t tell the story of Tiki without bringing up vast ingenuity and equally vast bigotry, heroic soldiers and charming hucksters, avant-garde and kitsch. It’s a cultural phenomenon as crude as the society that birthed it, but in a flailing, babyish way that provokes an amused headshake instead of a gasp. It is also, by its very nature, so overdetermined that it forces people to judge it, second- and third-guessing its excesses. It makes a mockery of indifference. No wonder it’s gotten popular again.

Comments to city council: "Let’s talk about Develop New Albany’s second edition of the Taco Walk."

Let's all eat at Israel's Delicias de Mexico Gourmet on Saturday, May 19.

Today is the second iteration of the Taco Walk, now a "signature" Develop New Albany event, and accordingly, non-agenda public speaking time at Thursday's city council meeting was devoted to reading the following summary, which also has been sent to the city clerk for inclusion in the official minutes of the meeting. 

This way, in the absence of public dialogue (and with the newspaper predictably AWOL), at least there's a permanent record of sorts. We're hoping nothing happens today to compel revisiting this topic -- at least until next year. 

Of course, DNA might begin to show responsiveness to reality by removing the sombrero from the "official" event poster, but even this lies beyond the organization's ability. 

It's sad. Very, very sad.

---

COMMENT TO CITY COUNCIL DURING NON-AGENDA SPEAKING TIME, THURSDAY 17 MAY 2018

Let’s talk about Develop New Albany’s second edition of the Taco Walk, coming this Saturday (May 19).

There are two fundamental problems, neither of which the organization has been willing to address openly – although let me tell you, I’ve tried, but in New Albany, the anchor seal of approval apparently means never having to answer e-mails, admit errors, say you’re sorry or turn mistakes into useful teaching tools – which is what should be happening here if we can just un-circle the wagons.

First, cultural appropriation, which is defined as “a concept dealing with the adoption of the elements of a minority culture by members of the dominant culture. It is distinguished from equal cultural exchange due to the presence of a colonial element and imbalance of power.”

As for imbalances, the most recent numbers show that the population of New Albany is 85% White, 8% African-American and 3% Hispanic/Latino.

So, Taco Walk was brought to DNA in 2017 by a citizen volunteer named Kelly Winslow, as a way of showcasing any and all downtown restaurants willing to fashion a taco, without reference to ethnicity, including Japanese tacos, vegan tacos, fudge tacos or any other creative flourish.

As it turns out, local memories are short. In 2015, then-president James Ramsey of the University of Louisville was photographed with university administrative workers dressed to party in sombreros, serapes and fake mustaches. There was a tremendous scandal, and the university was compelled to apologize.

Less than two years later, DNA’s brain trust repeated Ramsey’s mistake, with the governing committee itself, minus Winslow (the volunteer, who was horrified) bringing sombreros and maracas to Taco Walk, then adding the creative twist of parading through the streets while singing the Frito Bandito corn chip theme song, and posing for photos in the News and Tribune – which also failed to notice what was happening.

Really? Do any of them pay attention to internet essays each year during Cinco de Mayo warning against bad behavior?

By the way, the Frito Bandito song was written by a New York City ad agency in the late 1960s. There’s nothing Mexican about it. There are good reasons to wear a sombrero, but cultural appropriation is when you borrow the symbols and use them to reinforce a stereotype, which in this instance is the view that while Mexicans are happy napping while using a sombrero as shade, and rising from their naps to sing and dance, it’s unlikely they’ll do any useful work – and this, as most of us should know by now, is really, really dumb.

I’m hoping that DNA’s brain trust knows better than to stage a minstrel show in blackface, or have a wet t-shirt contest, or indulge in preening lisping stereotyping of gay Americans of the sort that used to be Hollywood caricatures, and if they know better in these cases, then the sombrero-wearing, maraca-shaking misbehavior should be left to the ticket-buying public; if Joe Six Pack wants to make a complete fool out of himself, fine, but DNA itself shouldn’t encourage it.

The second issue has to do with Winslow, who brought the idea to DNA in the first place, thinking she’d found an organization to partner with, but was very disappointed in the way Taco Walk went down. She decided to take her idea and decline further participation, to which DNA said nope, it’s ours now.

It may not have been intellectual property rights enforced by written contract, but if you ask me, that’s still thievery. From where I’m sitting DNA has been bullying and trolling Winslow ever since, and I’m not the only one who’s noticed it.

I’d like to ask at what point this organization, which I believe still receives a funding tithe each year from the city, is held accountable for matters like these – like cultural appropriation and infringement of intellectual property rights, or is it fine so long as that mayoral anchor seal of approval is hanging around their necks?

Last year, seeing a Taco Walk board member wearing a sombrero, shaking maracas and singing the Frito Bandito song made one employee of a downtown eatery cry.

When does DNA apologize, not just to her, but to us all?

Thank you.

With Taco Walk a week away, isn't it time for Develop New Albany to publicly take the cultural appropriation pledge and ditch the sombreros?

Did you know the Frito Bandito character was created in the late
1960s by the Foote, Cone & Belding advertising agency?

To casual observers, it might not make sense to wait until May 12, a full week after Cinco de Mayo, to spotlight an article about cultural appropriation in the context of this annual exercise in derivative marketing.

But in New Albany, very little makes cultural sense and almost everything is derivative, including Develop New Albany, our own peculiar institution, currently functioning as an appendage of Mayor Gahan's re-election effort, and thus beholden to a succession of 1:00 a.m. mobile phone directives.

As long as DNA continues to evade its "Taco Walk" ramifications of stereotyping and cultural appropriation, we'll keep bringing it up.

Which is to say, what you do on your own time is your burden, but shouldn't we expect a higher standard from organizations tied to municipal government?

Who'd have guessed? William Anthony Nericcio's "aggressive, relentless, and, at times, pathological interrogation of Mexican, Latina/o, Chicana/o, "Hispanic," Mexican-American, and Latin American stereotypes."

We've pointed to Nericcio's work on several occasions in the hope that the DNA board's daily reading is not restricted to the Collected Exhortations of Dear Leader (indeed, futility is this blog's constant and lamentable companion), but with a week to go until the renewal of Taco Walk, we'll offer another point of reference.

First, to recap, last year citizen volunteer Kelly Winslow brought the Taco Walk idea to DNA, unaware that she needed a lawyer, because from the moment DNA's "leadership" cadre arrived on site bearing sombreros, maracas and printed lyrics from the Frito Bandito's infamously demeaning ode to corn chip hucksterism, the event careened off the rails in terms of cultural awareness, leaving Winslow with little choice except to take back her idea and politely excuse herself -- but no such luck, because not only is Mexican culture ripe for appropriation, so are intellectual property rights, DNA reminding Winslow she could get out any time she liked, but her idea could never leave, and to be perfectly blunt, DNA has been nickel-and-diming and bullying her ever since, which is peachy keen according to well-scrubbed community pillars like DNA's city council liaison David Barksdale, who can't seem to grasp that if appearances in fact are everything (they're not, but we're on a roll now), then the appearance of a sombrero situated atop a middle-aged white person shaking maracas and chanting a 50-year-old advertising ditty, who is representing an organization that benefits from taxpayer dollars, is precisely the wrong one, now and forever.

Consequently, here's a slightly less academic explanation of the overarching point.

Put down the sombrero and back away slowly.

Think we might talk about it during the Tuesday morning merchant meeting this week? It's at 8:30 a.m. at the Pepin Mansion on Main Street.

And don't forget: Let's all eat at Israel's Delicias de Mexico Gourmet on Saturday, May 19.

Here's why your Cinco de Mayo celebration is problematic, by Katie Dupere (Mashable)

Today is Cinco de Mayo, one of the most widely celebrated Mexican holidays in the United States. But all the taco eating and $5 margaritas can cloud what you're actually celebrating — and lead to some nasty cultural appropriation.

That sombrero you're wearing, for instance, is never appropriate, unless you're of Mexican heritage.

But cultural appropriation is more than just a cheap, straw imitation of the wide-brimmed hat. It's parodying a culture without knowledge or respect of its roots. Many non-Mexicans are guilty of this on May 5, knocking back margaritas but totally oblivious to what they're even celebrating.

"In Mexican culture the sombrero, 'ponchos,' the music, the dancing, and even the tequila that was first made by the Aztecs have several cultural struggles behind them that a lot of people don’t understand," Melissa Nuno wrote on Medium earlier this year. "It can be offensive to some when people from other cultures try to own it, especially without at least trying to understand what it means to the people of that culture."

Here's my letter to National Main Street about diversity, inclusion, Develop New Albany and non-transparency.

Earlier in the week, we issued an emergency hubris status report.

A contest to boycott: Read in amazement as Develop New Albany claims to have revitalized downtown all by itself.

I decided to write a letter to Develop New Albany's parent organization, the National Main Street Center, and this is where matters turn odd, because DNA is not listed as being a member.

Turning to the map, Jeffersonville Main Street is listed as a member, but not Develop New Albany.

And yet at DNA's home page, clear as the ties that bind the organization to the mayor's office:

Very strange. Probably just a clerical error.

Here is my letter.

---

Hello,

Last year, our local Main Street organization (Develop New Albany, or DNA) staged an event called the Taco Walk. It was a successful promotion, but did not come without a price, because DNA indulged in what was, for them, harmless fun; the “leadership” brought sombreros and maracas, and led taco walkers on choruses of the Frito Bandito’s theme song.

It didn’t play well in the community, and it bears noting that DNA subsequently stole the Taco Walk idea from the very community volunteer who brought it to the organization’s attention (she found the stereotyping disturbing).

I’ve been blogging about it ever since.

As long as DNA continues to evade its "Taco Walk" ramifications of stereotyping and cultural appropriation, we'll keep bringing it up.

In 2018, DNA's artlessly purloined Taco Tone Deaf Cultural Appropriation Walk moves forward to May 19, with the Frito Bandito returning as Grand Marshal.

C'mon, DNA: The time has come. A fact's a fact. Taco Walk belongs to her. Why not give it back?

DNA's and the newspaper's masks ... or, thoughts occasioned by an excellent essay called "Meet the man who hides behind a mask."

I’ve tried on numerous occasions to engage DNA in a discussion about this issue; my e-mails and calls have been met with complete stonewalling. I asked for by-laws, and again, no reply. None. I find this somewhat disconcerting given that the organization receives financial support from City Hall.

I bring this to your attention because of this passage from your website.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Guiding Principle - We value, respect, and support the diverse views and contributions of our colleagues and partners. We are at our best when supporting diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.

In action - We strive to use differences to fuel our creativity and positively impact our work, culture, practices, and relationships. We integrate the needs of every individual and ensure that the right conditions are in place for everyone to achieve their potential. We ask for, listen to, and consider diverse points of view in order to succeed as an organization.

If DNA refuses to so much as discuss its cultural appropriation and stereotyping publicly, how exactly is it adhering to this section of the parent group’s expectations?

By extension, what are our options as a community to somehow convince DNA to communicate about such issues? It’s not a real dialogue if only one party participates.

Perhaps National Main Street has no qualms about this issue; if so, that’d be disappointing. However, I hope you might be able to help me with answers.

Thanks,

Roger A. Baylor

(one-time board member of DNA, circa 2007-2010)

A contest to boycott: Read in amazement as Develop New Albany claims to have revitalized downtown all by itself.

Sighhh: DNA's board ... "leading" again.

Before examining this remarkable exposition of hubris, which purports to explain why you should cast daily ballots for Develop New Albany's bid to win a grant, let's examine the contest.

The goal of the America's Main Streets contest is to help promote the importance and strong economic benefits of these Main Streets and the small businesses that help them thrive. Please help us by nominating and telling us about a deserving Main Street. The winning Main Street will receive $25,000 in cash and related prizes to help revitalize that Main Street (Independent We Stand).

As you're reading DNA's bid, keep these words in mind: "The small businesses that help them (Main Streets) thrive."

DNA gives cursory mention to these indie businesses, but in effect, the board claims credit for the time and money invested by the start-ups, with which DNA has had nothing whatever to do.

It's a safe bet that none of these investments came from a budding entrepreneur thinking "Wow -- let's operate in downtown New Albany because there's a Jingle Walk, and a Taco Walk, and a Farmers Market."

It boggles the mind and staggers the imagination. Compare the tone of DNA's contest entry with that of Jeffersonville's ... and shake your head. Of course, there's an unresolved issue: As long as DNA continues to evade its "Taco Walk" ramifications of stereotyping and cultural appropriation, we'll keep bringing it up.

Now reach for your arrogance sickness bags and endeavor to digest a plate of half-baked tripe.

---

NEW ALBANY, IN

http://www.developna.org

Through the efforts of volunteers in our community, the leadership of our Board of Directors and working in partnership with local government officials, Downtown New Albany is alive with new businesses, restaurants and retail stores.

In the past 10 years more than 100 new businesses have moved into downtown New Albany and the vast majority of those businesses being locally owned and operated. In the past, many Downtown businesses have struggled to survive while many Historic Downtown buildings sat empty and some of the businesses migrated out of the downtown area to new locations in the suburbs. Our many historic building facades could provide only a fading glimpse to what was for more than 150 years, a thriving Downtown. Downtown New Albany was an industrial center and Indiana's largest city for a period of more than 30 years during the 1800's. Our Main Street along with the rest of Historic Downtown and Midtown New Albany is on the National Register of Historic Places as an Ohio River Town. This is certainly not an uncommon story across the state and across the country. Historic Downtown areas with diminishing tax bases, boarded up buildings, deteriorating infrastructure and most significantly a general apathy to do anything about it. It's unfortunately all too common. Some of Develop New Albany's Signature Events are the Historic Home Tour, Be Local Business Expo, and JingleWalk/HolidayFest. These events generate financial support for a variety of downtown programs. We have a thriving year round Farmer's Market that had close to 50,000 visitors last year! This grant money would help us continue to help our city thrive! One of our focuses for the next few years is to bring more art to downtown. This grant would go such a long way in achieving that!

In 2018, DNA's artlessly purloined Taco Tone Deaf Cultural Appropriation Walk moves forward to May 19, with the Frito Bandito returning as Grand Marshal.

Here it comes again -- and a couple months early.

My guess is that the Taco Walk's repositioning in May is intended to replace Team Gahan's moribund "Boomtown" franchise, serving as lead-in to the Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series, presented by YOU KNOW WHO.

None of this is to suggest that Develop New Albany has publicly addressed either (a) the cultural appropriation it encouraged during last year's version, or (b) the way the organization has flat stolen the idea from the volunteer who brought it to DNA in the first place.

Most recently on January 11, I addressed these matters in my weekly ON THE AVENUES column, a portion of which is reprinted below.

And no: for the ?nth consecutive time, my questions were neither answered nor the inquiry even acknowledged, as if DNA has executive sanction to operate beyond the reach of transparency and common decency.

Which, of course, it does.

#FireGahan2019

---

Jeeebus, nightmares are awful. After all, I seldom drink vodka. Meanwhile, wide awake in Giddy Giddy City, I’ve decided to have one last stab at penetrating DNA’s veil of secrecy – or maybe it is better described as an embarrassment of kitsches?

Following is the e-mail that will be going out to the board, just as soon as I have a beer.

---

To: Develop New Albany’s board and staff person

Greetings,

You may recall my most recent e-mail, asking for Develop New Albany’s perspective on recurring issues pertaining to the Taco Walk.

Sadly, as with the three (four?) e-mails preceding it, I have not received any sort of reply. I wrote my articles without DNA’s input; not my preference, but gratifyingly, these two posts collected some of the highest page view numbers my humble blog experienced in 2017. It seems the community is very interested in Develop New Albany.

Here are the links with excerpts.

December 29: DNA's and the newspaper's masks ... or, thoughts occasioned by an excellent essay called "Meet the man who hides behind a mask"

 ... The volunteer concluded she wasn't happy with the way her idea was implemented -- cultural appropriation was among the reasons for her decision -- and so, working under the assumption the Main Street organization possesses a fundamental sense of decency, she told DNA she'd be taking it back for a future reboot.

Um, nope. Seems the anchor already had been dropped.

DNA wasted no time in sending her packing: Taco Walk belongs to DNA now, and the organization will do with it as it pleases -- and don't bother running to Big Daddy Gahan, because the fix is always in.

And this.

December 31: C'mon, DNA: The time has come. A fact's a fact. Taco Walk belongs to her. Why not give it back?

 ... There is a simple way to resolve the situation.

To begin the New Year on a high note, the truly decent thing for Develop New Albany and Mayor Jeff Gahan to do is to say they're sorry, both for the cultural appropriation and the intellectual property violation, and to give the Taco Walk back to whom it belongs, although I'm forever mindful of that old Biblical observation about a camel and the eye of the needle.

First this. Then we have the open, above board discussion about cultural appropriation. There is no reason why this cannot be resolved satisfactorily.

Basic human decency, guys. I know you can do it.

It's not about me or my pen.

It's about doing the right thing.

I’m planning a letter on this topic to the News and Tribune fairly soon (the absentee Fourth Estate is a whole other story), so please be aware that if there comes a time when DNA elects at long last to speak publicly about this matter – the Taco Walk’s inexcusable cultural appropriation, the subsequent expropriation of another person’s idea, or any sub-topic therein – I’ll happily publish DNA’s thoughts at the blog, standing alone, without any comment on my part.

In other words, please step forward, make the organization’s case and be a part of the dialogue. I wish it were possible to convey to you how much might be accomplished by doing the decent thing in this instance. You could lead by example, but you’re fleeing for the safety of the circled wagons where the mayor pitches his tent.

Can't you just talk about it openly?

Concurrently, several other requests remain outstanding, so kindly allow me to repeat them. Answers would be appreciated.

First, I’m still curious about the disposition of monthly morning merchant meetings. Are they still being held? If so, I’m no longer receiving e-mail notifications about them. To rule out a problem with my current address, allow me yet again to ask that it be changed to this: mayorbaylor(at)gmail(dot)com

Kindly note that I’m actively working as a beer consultant with more than one current and future business owner in downtown New Albany. If for some reason I’ve been banned or excluded from meetings, that’s fine, if misguided, but at least let me know the definitive situation so these business owners can submit their e-mail addresses and be kept within city hall’s “official” (see what I did there, David?) information loop.

Second, on several occasions I’ve asked that Develop New Albany reveal its annual funding level as tithed from the city of New Albany. During my stint on the DNA board a decade ago, it was in the range of $5,000 per annum. I understand DNA is a de facto arm of government these days, so surely the public has a right to know how much it’s costing them?

Thanks for your time. As always, I look forward to an actual reply.

C'mon, DNA: The time has come. A fact's a fact. Taco Walk belongs to her. Why not give it back?

Going into 2018, Develop New Albany has two huge unresolved issues to address pertaining to the Taco Walk last August.

One of these is DNA's encouragement of cultural appropriation during the event, which refers to sombreros, maracas and the Frito Bandito -- or, Mexican, Latina/o, Chicana/o, "Hispanic," Mexican-American, and Latin American stereotyping.

Tacky acts of cultural appropriation simply were not necessary for the success of the Taco Walk, which was intended to be a celebration of the restaurant community and a showcase for downtown. Needless to say, since August, people around the country have lost their jobs for less. I'm not suggesting a purge, but open public dialogue is needed most of all.

The second issue is DNA's blatant expropriation of intellectual property afterward. Simply stated, the idea for the Taco Walk was brought to DNA by Kelly Ott Winslow, a community-minded volunteer outside the organization, and now, in essence, the idea has been stolen from her -- and this is intolerable.

Why do I keep pounding this drum?

If only in part, because DNA is the recipient of taxpayer dollars. They're given to DNA each year by Jeff Gahan, and so he (along with mayors before him) shares responsibility in ensuring the money is spent responsibly. In the case of Taco Walk in 2017, it wasn't.

That's a problem.

Good, bad or indifferent, DNA's non-profit status does not exclude the organization from answering legitimate questions like these. Time and again, we see that stonewalling behind closed doors is New Albany's major problem, not its desired solution.

There is a simple way to resolve the situation.

To begin the New Year on a high note, the truly decent thing for Develop New Albany and Mayor Jeff Gahan to do is to say they're sorry, both for the cultural appropriation and the intellectual property violation, and to give the Taco Walk back to whom it belongs, although I'm forever mindful of that old Biblical observation about a camel and the eye of the needle.

First this. Then we have the open, above board discussion about cultural appropriation. There is no reason why this cannot be resolved satisfactorily.

Basic human decency, guys. I know you can do it.

It's not about me or my pen.

It's about doing the right thing.

---

Recently:

DNA's and the newspaper's masks ... or, thoughts occasioned by an excellent essay called "Meet the man who hides behind a mask."

GREEN MOUSE SAYS: We keep trying to ask DNA about the Taco Walk, and DNA keeps making like Jeff Gahan on the down low.

---

2017 TACO WALK LINKS

Aug 19

Who'd have guessed? William Anthony Nericcio's "aggressive, relentless, and, at times, pathological interrogation of Mexican, Latina/o, Chicana/o, "Hispanic," Mexican-American, and Latin American stereotypes."

Aug 15

Taco Walk teaching tools: Time for DNA to stand up, step forward and begin learning AND teaching about cultural appropriation.

Aug 15

Commentary: Cultural Appropriation Is, In Fact, Indefensible

Aug 13

James "U of L" Ramsey, sombreros, stereotypes and DNA's institutional legacy of tone deafness.

Aug 13

A message from Mayor Gahan.

Aug 12

Whether DNA gets a penny, $5,000 or $100,000 from City Hall, it is obliged to be transparent about its activities and expenditures.

Aug 11

Let's all eat at Israel's Delicias de Mexico Gourmet on Saturday, August 12.

Aug 6

Meat Loaf Is the Answer, Part 1: Local food culture presupposes local culture. Popeyes, anyone?

Aug 6

Meat Loaf Is the Answer, Part 2: Let's come together over meat loaf.

Aug 6

Meat Loaf Is the Answer, Part 3: A brief postscript to yesterday's Taco, Broccoli and Lutefisk Walk reference.

Aug 5

Develop New Albany's Broccoli Walk is August 12. What? Oops, sorry -- it's a Taco Walk.

DNA's and the newspaper's masks ... or, thoughts occasioned by an excellent essay called "Meet the man who hides behind a mask."

Before linking to a very good column written by assistant editor Jason Thomas of the News and Tribune, kindly permit me a necessary digression.

---

Earlier this year I exchanged e-mails with N and T's editor, Susan Duncan, on the topic of Develop New Albany's Taco Walk, during which several of the organization's higher-ups decided it would be hilarious to wear sombreros, shake maracas and sing the Frito Bandito's corn chip theme song.

Needless to say, not everyone found it so funny. For more on why it isn't, revisit this posting about William Anthony Nericcio's "aggressive, relentless, and, at times, pathological interrogation of Mexican, Latina/o, Chicana/o, "Hispanic," Mexican-American, and Latin American stereotypes."

Actually I wrote to the newspaper in part because DNA consistently refused (and continues to refuse) to so much as acknowledge receiving my e-mails inquiring about the circumstances of the Taco Walk.

Here is the text of my letter to Duncan.

---

Dear Susan,

Last Saturday, Develop New Albany sponsored a Taco Walk. Member(s) of DNA’s board thought it would be cute to bring sombreros, mariachis and other stereotypical symbols of Latino culture of the sort that led to a major scandal at the University of Louisville during James Ramsey’s tenure.

I’ve personally spoken with an employee of a downtown eatery – a first-generation American with Mexican roots – who said she mustered every last bit of discipline to avoid crying when DNA’s own board members came into her establishment brandishing these items, and singing the theme to the old Frito’s commercials (ay, ay, ay ay).

This surely ranks on a par with blackface in the lexicon of appropriation and inappropriateness, and yet not only did the News and Tribune completely fail to notice, but it also published at least one photo documenting the tastelessness that utterly evaded editorial scrutiny (see attachments).

Naturally my efforts to engage DNA have been met with silence.

In vain, I’ve asked the question to them: If it was wrong for James Ramsey, why is it right for you?

As with U of L, DNA is the recipient of taxpayer support. As it pertains to individual participants, if someone wants to indulge in this manner it’s his or her free speech; tone deaf but permissible. But taxpayer-supported organizations simply must aspire to a higher bar. 

To me, DNA’s response is simple: “We’re sorry it happened, here’s why it’s inappropriate, and it won’t happen again.”

It’s a teachable moment, and for once would place DNA in the position of educating about its own National Main Street mandate. Instead, DNA has circled the wagons. It’s a virtual arm of city government, and as the newspaper seems determined to avoid addressing, NA’s current city government is not a transparent entity.

Since the Charlottesville incident, the pages of your newspaper have been filled with earnest denunciations of bigotry and white supremacy. This is fitting and proper. Does a sombrero during a Taco Walk equate with the lessons of Charlottesville? Perhaps not in scale, but certainly it’s a branch of the same tree – and in your eagerness to capture the forest, you’re missing this particular tree.

Thanks,

Roger

---

To Duncan's credit, she quickly replied, although handily avoiding the non-vetting of her newspaper's questionable photograph (above).

Thanks for keeping us updated. We are likely to run an editorial about this, if nothing else as a reminder to be more culturally aware. Event organizers missed an opportunity to promoted Mexican heritage and cuisine, instead tapping into stereotypes. Insensitive, yes, but I doubt it was done maliciously, likely without thought.

Then a month passed. DNA continued to stonewall, and so I asked Duncan what had happened.

I did follow through with broaching this in a meeting of the editorial board. The consensus opinion was that a better result would occur if we challenged DNA before next year’s event to use it as an opportunity to promote cultural awareness. The thinking was that too much time had passed since the taco walk, that running an editorial now would have seemed out of place and resulted in less chance for real change.

As an interesting side note to all this frantic circling of wagons, both here and in Jeffersonville, it helps to know that a member of the community first conceived of the Taco Walk idea and brought it to DNA with the best of intentions, imagining that by doing so, the community would benefit.

While DNA has alluded to the event being a windfall success financially (DNA will not release exact numbers), the volunteer concluded she wasn't happy with the way her idea was implemented -- cultural appropriation was among the reasons for her decision -- and so, working under the assumption the Main Street organization possesses a fundamental sense of decency, she told DNA she'd be taking it back for a future reboot.

Um, nope. Seems the anchor already had been dropped.

DNA wasted no time in sending her packing: Taco Walk belongs to DNA now, and the organization will do with it as it pleases -- and don't bother running to Big Daddy Gahan, because the fix is always in.

It was horrendous treatment of a person who was just trying to be helpful, so let's hope the N and T follows through in 2018 and holds DNA's feet to the fire as it prepares to profit once more from the idea it purloined.

You might even say lots of community pillars in New Albany are wearing masks, if not Frito-encrusted sombreros, which brings me to Thomas's recent essay.

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As aspiring writers, we're constantly advised to write about what we know, and so it might make perfect sense to write about oneself; surely we know ourselves better than anyone else, right?

Alas, not so much. Autobiographical honesty is fiendishly difficult to achieve, and that's why full credit goes to Thomas for trying. This piece is very good, and I'm glad he wrote it.

Maybe the other members of the editorial board read it, too.

A boy can dream.

Meet the man who hides behind a mask, by Jason Thomas

Who am I?

I am white. I am male. I am a father. I am a fiance.

Other than that, I'm not sure.

Who are you?

I wear a mask. It cloaks me in confidence, in extroversion, in a self-prescribed aura of coolness.

The mask is ugly.

Behind it is a man of broken faith, a man unsure of his footing, a man who says he would die for his son and his son's mother. Would he?

A man — a person — like many of you.

I watched a movie on Christmas night that made me think. Really think.

It was called "Get Out." It has received considerable attention, in part, for its exploration of white people's exploitation of black culture. And for many other underlying themes that made me, a white male of privilege, squirm in my flannel-pajama-wearing cocoon of comfort ...

Taco Walk teaching tools: Time for DNA to stand up, step forward and begin learning AND teaching about cultural appropriation.

Ramsey sombrero photo sparks outcry, apology (C-J; 10-29-15)

Thanks to Jeff Gillenwater for inserting this link (below) into the discussion about Develop New Albany, its recent Taco Walk and the inappropriateness of sombreros, maracas and Frito Bandito theme songs amid what should be a foodie event, absent the condescending overtones.

It's up to Develop New Albany to own Saturday's errors in judgment and to make them right. These miscues are a teaching tool, but DNA must understand the ramifications and sincerely wish to use the opportunity.

If DNA actually is what it says (and thinks) it is, then it will have an earnest internal discussion and emerge with the right words and the appropriate actions. But if the wagons are circled and DNA's board refuses to discuss this publicly, then its Taco Walk becomes the Main Street organization's Thanksgiving promotion moment on WKRP in Cincinnati.

Paraphrasing Arthur Carlson: "As God is my witness, I think sombreros look cute on smoking hot Latino gardeners."

Sorry, DNA, but that's not enough. You're chartered to know better. Getting public money? Then you have absolutely no choice except to improve, and to fix this. You can do it. Step one is admitting there's a problem.

The Taco Walk doesn't need cheap stereotypes to succeed -- and no, I'm not the only one who feels this way. Open your eyes, DNA.

Commentary: Cultural Appropriation Is, In Fact, Indefensible, by K. Tempest Bradford (NPR)

 ... Cultural appropriation can feel hard to get a handle on, because boiling it down to a two-sentence dictionary definition does no one any favors. Writer Maisha Z. Johnson offers an excellent starting point by describing it not only as the act of an individual, but an individual working within a "power dynamic in which members of a dominant culture take elements from a culture of people who have been systematically oppressed by that dominant group."

That's why appropriation and exchange are two different things, Johnson says — there's no power imbalance involved in an exchange. And when artists appropriate, they can profit from what they take, while the oppressed group gets nothing.