Cultural appropriation has long been an issue in food media. Especially with white gatekeepers. We're starting our discussion on tokenization of #AAPI voices during #COVID with @chefjennydorsey, @priyakrishna, @ericjoonho, @bettinamak, & @jennygzhang. [Live Thread]

We're kicking off our third installation of #TheTakeout, a series of panels featuring local and national Asian and Asian American business owners, food writers, and historians discussing the impact that #COVID19 is having on Asian American communities and food businesses.

Moderator @chefjennydorsey, a professional chef and writer, starts the evening with definitions of tokenization and cultural appropriation, opening the floor with the question if any of the panelists have experiences tokenism in food media, especially during #COVID19.

Cookbook author and food writer @priyakrishna speaks about her experience at @bonappetit, where she was included on videos with White people cooking Indian dishes, instead of being the one making the dish. She calls for diversity and equity within food media.

Food and culture writer at @munchies, @bettinamak, says "Tokenization was the way to get my foot through the door," writing about Filipino food. She notes how tokenism can also end up limiting possibilities writing about other topics.

Staff writer at @eater, @jennygzhang says "I see people love the stories about Asian identity or my Asian grandmother's cooking, and I feel pressured to have to write about these things to make a career for myself."

Recipe developer and columnist at @food52, @ericjoonho says that beginning writing about his cultural experiences and familial stories, helped him developed confidence and find a genre that allowed him to branch out and explore not just his family's history.

@bettinamak speaks about how growing up Asian American in Pennsylvania gave her the same expertise and experience of growing up in the US, but not seen as an expert on the topic, that tokenism only focuses on the visible identity.

@priyakrishna, who grew up in an Indian American family, says, "Asian identities are not a monolith," and one experience does not represent the whole culture or its food, noting how food media white-washes recipes and culture and boils them down without nuance.

"Can a white editor champion these ideas in an ethical way or do we demand representation at an executive level?" @chefjennydorsey asks the panelists.

"It has to be a new table," says @ericjoonho. While white people hold the power there will be no equity, the quota system is not representative. @priyakrishna agrees that the quota system holds white-centered power, "and requires a massive change."

The shift cannot happen without overhaul and challenging the capitalist system, "There's always going to be a centering of a white middle- and upper-class audience, what the people in power think what the audience wants, there will be exploitation of labor," says @jennygzhang.

"We need to acknowledge that not every piece is for everyone, and not think that it's going to be universal," says @bettinamak, who is against watering down the conversation to make it universal or palpable.

"I love narratives that center the author, its much more engaging, like when I write about a dish from my childhood why do I need to explain myself?" says @priyakrishna, calling to expect more from the readers, noting it's not a disservice for readers to learn about new things.

"It should be on the food stylist to do their research and be empathetic humans and to learn about the dish and its culture," says @ericjoonho, about the editorial process. A level of awareness needs to exist, that "their viewpoint may be centered from a white perspective."

Stereotyping around design and styling in food media brings repetitive and grotesque ideas about culture, @priyakrishna asks "Why is white food tied to no culture, and non-white food is always tied to culture?"

"Power in numbers," says @jennygzhang about standing up to tokenism in the industry, it can't be one person calling out systemic problems. @ericjoonho says it's not just on the shoulders of BIPOC to combat tokenism, and that everyone has to be in collective solidarity.

"If consumers are not asking for something different, there is no reason to change," says @priyakrishna. "It's on the consumers to provide those clicks and dismantle those systems."

"Consumers have a real voice, everyone has to do their own part interrogating themselves what they're consuming and supporting with their subscription dollar," @jennygzhang. "Constantly assess who you are supporting and hold institutions accountable."

"We need to consciously support efforts that are trying different things, like @whetstone_mag and @ForTheCultureM1," says @bettinamak.

@priyakrishna and @jennygzhang talk about the scarcity mindset, "there's enough room for a plethora of voices." They call to pull each other up, recommend writers for work that's a better fit, to advocate more thoughtfully for each other.

We're starting our Q&A with the audience, "How do you feel about Asian food being a trend?"

"Cuisines aren't trends," says @priyakrishna, who is tired of people saying certain food is "having its moment."

"The 'normal' cannot be white food, we need to move away from that."

"What role do you think SEO will play in dismantling these certain practices?"

"Google is way smarter then people realize," says @ericjoonho. "There are synonyms, it's not always one term, it's the whole piece, and editors need to be more educated on SEO."

"How can food media do a better job diversifying beyond race, like socio-economically?"

@priyakrishna calls for intersectionality, less visible things like geography, disability, and socio-economic status all inform how you eat.

@ericjoonho calls for hiring for merit.

How do we move forward from icon chefs that profited from cultural appropriation?

"As writers, we have a duty to diversify who we are talking to, and not going for the most obvious," says @bettinamak.

@jennygzhang asks what they do with their platform and if they reinvest.

"How can we challenge Asians and Asian Americans to not gatekeep their cuisine while still doing due diligence in respecting culture?"

"There's a lot of underrepresented Asian cuisines," says @chefjennydorsey, it's about looking at tendencies and addressing diversity.

What an amazing discussion! Thank you for joining us tonight. You can also join us for our final fourth panel of #TheTakeout next Wednesday, June 24 at 7 pm ET. https://www.mofad.org/events/foodinsecurityandfoodaccess