Jenn F. found herself faced with a “Lucky Taco” at the end of her meal at a Mexican restaurant. It contained the following text: “Paco says, ‘A bird in hand can be very messy.’”
The Lucky Taco is, of course, a “Mexican” version of the Chinese fortune cookie with which most Americans (at least) are familiar. Jenn also sent the link to the company that makes them, the Lucky Cookie Company, and they have two other versions, the Lucky Cannoli and the Lucky Cruncher (meant to be, respectively, version inspired by Italians and the “tribal” [they're term, not mine]). Behold:
So this company took the Chinese fortune cookie and re-racialized it…. three times over. Is this is an appropriation of Chinese culture? A cruel parody of an authentic tradition? An offensive stereotype to begin with that is no less offensive when re-racialized?
Some facts:
The fortune cookie isn’t Chinese. As best as can be figured out, it’s Japanese. But, in Japan, the fortune cookie wasn’t and isn’t like it is in the U.S. today. It’s larger and made with a darker batter seasoned with miso (instead of vanilla) and sprinkled with sesame seeds:
This drawing is believed to depict Japanese fortune cookie baking in 1878:
According to a New York Times story, it was Japanese-Americans in California who first began making and selling fortune cookies in the ’20s. Many of them, however, served Chinese food. And Chinese-Americans may have picked up on the trend. Then, when the Japanese were forced into internment camps during WWII, Chinese-Americans took over the industry and, voila, the “Chinese fortune cookie.”
So the “Chinese” fortune cookie with which we’re all familiar isn’t Chinese at all and is certainly of American (re-)invention. So…
Is this is an appropriation of another culture? A cruel parody of an authentic tradition? An offensive stereotype to begin with that is no less offensive when re-racialized? Or something else?
