When I first saw Milwaukee Taco Fest, I got a little sketched out. Don’t get me wrong; I love tacos. But the chihuahua contest, wrestling and sombreros? So offensive, and so outta line. A local chef, Gil, has written an awesome article breaking it down from his perspective as a food expert who emigrated here from Mexico. Gil’s piece is a powerful introduction to legit food history and to the problems of cultural appropriation. His piece also prompted me to ask why we, as white people, think this is ok.

I don’t take identifying as “white” lightly — it’s a historical, made-up identity, and we have a dangerous habit of making everything (including racist events that directly impact the community) about us. But it’s part of my job as someone who has white privilege to own it. So I am inviting other white people to be honest about TacoFest. What are we doing or saying when we participate in it? Why, as white people, do we need a side order of racism with our margaritas?

Honestly, as someone who spends a fair amount of time thinking about whiteness, Milwaukee Taco Fest is one of the whitest things I’ve ever seen. From the way it’s being advertised, the stereotypes that are part of it, the lack of meaningful inclusion of Latinx business leaders, and the cluelessness of half-assed efforts to talk about “taco history” — it’s a classic example of cultural appropriation and what happens when white people plow ahead with something without consideration. I’m angry, offended, frustrated.

One of the deals of white identity is that we feel a sense of entitlement to other people’s cultures and then minimize the impact of our actions. Lots of folks reading this will probably think “oh, more PC garbage”, or “it’s just a taco party, what’s the big deal?” I get those reactions and encourage you to take another second. Most of this happens unconsciously because it has deep roots in colonial history. White people don’t (as a whole) learn about this in a substantial way, so we tend to minimize our impact, act from ignorance, or jump on instinct. And that’s part of the problem: we think we have the right to do whatever we want, because we have a logo and a sweet idea. But this cluelessness does have a real impact on other people, as Gil has outlined. Cultural appropriation is on a spectrum with practices that dehumanize other people. As white people, when we create or support things like Taco Fest, we make a trade too: our humanity for the right to poach other people’s cultures. In other words, with your TacoFest ticket you also get this free deal:

(1) I agree to spend my money, time, creativity and ingenuity to make light of stuff that doesn’t belong to me.

(2) I agree to shut down/go numb/ignore that what might seem lighthearted to me has a direct impact on people’s lives.

And you thought you were just buying tacos and some day drinking! Read the fine print, friends — if you are attending TacoFest, I urge you to return your ticket and support Fiesta Mexicana and other local food vendors and festivals that come from respect and from the cultures they claim to represent.

It’s not about us — it’s about the real beauty and power of the many cultures Milwaukee has to offer. Imagine how powerful we could be if we discarded all this extraness and got to know one another for real? Now that’s a party.